Dark Spirits of St. Louis

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20 tips for photographing Ghosts

1. Ghosts are not just in haunted old buildings. Ghosts are almost everywhere in one form or another. So don't be afraid to take photos at the mall or out on a busy intersection at night, or anywhere else for that matter.

2. When you take photos at night, let's say in a cemetery etc. make sure you have you camera set for night filming. If your camera has this setting, please use it otherwise your photos might come out to dark or fuzzy.

3. Always take photos of something and not just a clearing. Having a background image such as a tombstone, tree, building etc., It adds to the quality of the photo and allows mild light reflection for best possible results.

4. Take lots of pictures! Takes photos of anything & everything with a good background image. The odds are good that you will capture an anomaly if you take at least 50 pictures on your hunt. Then again, you might just get some great stuff on your first roll, you just never know.

5. When taking your photos, make sure to avoid shinny surfaces. The shine from a glossy tombstone or pane of glass etc. can cause anomalies that can appear to look like ghost mist, fog & orb shapes. Oh, and never try taking photos through a glass window. It's just to easy to create shapes that aren't really there. Not worth wondering if it was created from the glass or not. Old glass is the worst.

6. Make sure your camera lens is clean at all times. Again, this can cause anomaly type images to appear. If the lens has a smudge it can easily show up on several pictures and can look like an anomaly, so look for that sign. Try to always keep your lens spotless.

7. Make sure you know where your camera strap & lens cover are at all times. These can appear as a vortex or other ghostly images if left to dangle free from the camera. If your thumb or finger is in the way of the lens it can cause this same effect.

8. Make sure long hair is tied back. Hair can also appear as a ghostly anomaly. Strains of hair can look like orbs in motion as well as ghost energy.

9. Completely avoid taking photos when conditions are windy, foggy, rainy, dusty and where it's snowing or when moisture is in the air. All of these conditions can cause images to appear that look exactly like orbs and ghostly anomalies.

10. In cold weather make sure your breath is not affecting the photo results. Exhaled air in cold weather can appear in front of the lens to create all sorts of strange elusions including mist & orbs shapes.

11. A condition called "Lens Flair" produces strange effects in your photos. To avoid this do not take photos in the direction of the sun. Also, never take a picture in the direction of any direct light source. Preferably have all light sources away from you or even behind you when snapping your photos.

12. Talk to the ghosts. When you enter an area that you want to photograph, such as a cemetery, follow these steps: Walk around the area for about 15 minutes before doing anything else. As you're walking around, clear your mind and think only good thoughts. (Ghosts can sense your feelings and read your thoughts) After 15 minutes, recite the following statement or something similar. "Hi, my name is ______, We have come here to take some pictures of you as ghosts in order to show & document that there is life after death. We have only the best of intentions. We are not here to do any harm and we will only be here long enough to take our photos and then we will leave. Our only request is to take a picture of you, any of you! Thank you so much. I'll begin taking pictures now......thanks. Take all the pictures you think you need to and start heading back to your car. On the way, stop one last time and say: We are leaving now, just in case I didn't get any pictures of you on film can I take just 5 more pictures of this monument (or whatever) and would one of you mind posing for me in these very last photos? Take five more photos and then say: Thank you so much for putting up with me & my group.....we enjoyed being here in your company and am grateful for any photos you have allowed us to have of you..........thanks again, bye. If you were able to get some good pictures and you proved your good intentions to the ghosts.....then you will be welcomed back on your return visit. :)

13. Most ghost energy will appear in the air from two to ten feet above the ground. So focus a portion of your attention at that level but don't limit yourself totally to it. Ghostly phenomena can and will also appear above your head at times so be sure and snap some random shots up above at times. Note: in a buildings they can appear at any level of the structure and at any height.

14. The odds of encountering an evil spirit are slim to none but here is the counsel concerning them. Don't go hunting for evil spirits and DO NOT dare them to come around. If you hear or see a sign of evil spirits you should leave immediately.

15. Avoid mirrors or even taking photos in the general direction of a mirror. The camera flash can create a flash in the mirror that can produce a variety of effects including vapor, mist & fog.

16. Try following your instincts when taking ghost photos. If you have a particular inclination to snap a photo in a particular direction or at a particular object, do it. Trust your feelings an as you do, your abilities to sense ghosts should increase.

17. Ghosts are quite often attracted to people and will follow them around. So include people in the photos you take. Tip: When taking photos of others try to include enough space to one side of the picture and above the heads of those in the photo to capture any anomalies present. Remember the purpose is to catch anomalies and people together in the same photo. Here's another trick to use when ghosts might be following you around......put the camera over your shoulder and snap a picture behind you. This can be an effective technique at times......trust me.

18. The best time of the year for capturing ghost images on film are in the colder months when electrostatic energy is at it's highest. These months being October through February. You can capture any kind of ghost type on film at any time of the year but the above mentioned months just increase your odds is all. Orbs however, don't seem to be affected by seasons and are by far the easiest anomalies to capture on film.

19. Remember your flash limitations. A flash can only be useful for up to a certain distance. Normally within 15 feet. So if you are in a cemetery at night and take a picture of a mausoleum 30 feet away, the image will be hard to view and a bit washed out, as well as any anomalies present. Important note: The flash will help highlight the anomaly if the background image is within the the range (15 feet). Note: A flash attachment will increase your range if you desire to use one.

20. Best places to take pictures: Some places are more haunted than others. Some typically haunted locations are cemeteries, old buildings, including old hotels, houses, hospitals, schoolhouses, and churches. Other good spots are theaters as well as any historic part of a city. Use your imagination and see what works for you. Just remember the best rule of thumb is to include places that are rich in history on your investigations. That's the basics in a nutshell.......study and know them well and you will be well on your way to capturing strange phenomena on film in the near future. I might add, once you start seeing the fruits of your labor, you will be hooked! And life will no longer be the same for you as it was before. Ghost hunting is a great hobby and can be a truly fulfilling one as well. We wish you the best of luck in your endeavors!

Don't forget to check out your old photos and photo albums for ghost anomalies. You might be pleasantly surprised at the ghost pictures you already have!

GhostStudy.com

How to Practice Automatic Writing

Automatic writing is an old form of divination in which messages seem to come out of nowhere through your hand and onto paper. Some who have attempted this form of mediumship have written lengthy messages, songs -- even complete novels.

Difficulty: Hard

Time Required: 15 minutes to an hour

Here's How:

1. Find a quiet spot without distractions.
2. Sit at a table or desk where you'll be comfortable, with paper and pen (or pencil).
3. Take a few moments to clear your mind.
4. Touch the pen or pencil to the paper.
5. Try not to consciously write anything.
6. While keeping your mind as clear as possible, let your hand write whatever comes across.
7. Avoid looking at the paper; you might even keep your eyes closed.
8. Give it time to happen (nothing might happen for quite a while).
9. When it seems to be done, if and when automatic writing does occur, look over what your hand has produced carefully. The writing may appear to be nonsense or just scribbling, but try to decipher it as best as possible.
10. In addition to letters and numbers, look for pictures or symbols in the writing as well.
11. Keep trying. Nothing might happen your first few attempts.
12. If you start to achieve success, you can try asking questions to see if you can receive responses.

Tips:

1. There is no guarantee that automatic writing will work for you, but don't give up if it doesn't work the first few times. Give it a chance.
2. Be aware of psychological dangers. Some messages that come across might be disturbing. If you're at all not able to handle this possibility, don't attempt automatic writing.

What You Need:

• pencil or pen

• paper

Source: Paranormal Phenomena

UFO sighting in Texas

STEPHENVILLE, Texas (AP) - The latest UFO buzz is in Stephenville, Texas, where several dozen people insist they've seen something up there that's unexplainable.

One pilot says the thing he spotted last week was a mile long and a 1/2 mile wide, and made no noise. As he puts it, "It was positively, absolutely nothing from these parts." Others have talked about bright lights, and said they saw fighter jets chasing it.

Federal officials insist there's a logical explanation. A spokesman for a local fighter wing says it may have been an illusion caused by two commercial airplanes. He says lights from the planes would seem unusually bright, and may appear orange from the setting sun.

Last year, 14% of Americans polled by The Associated Press and Ipsos said they have seen a UFO.

Source: WTOC

In-depth article HERE

The True 'Spirit' of the Care Bears

Written by Dave Nalle

Published April 01, 2005

When you think of the Care Bears, do you think of them as nothing more than annoying characters in an overly preachy children's cartoon? Or do you find them vaguely unsettling, perhaps because your inner eye can sense some of the truth behind these chubby brightly colored 'friends' - the truth of Voodoo masquerading as children's entertainment.

One of the characteristics of the spread of Voodoo in the Western Hemisphere is the adaptability of the paradigms of Voodoo worship and magic to the host cultures and religions. This has been demonstrated in the accommodation of Voodoo to the native cultures of Brazil in the form of Macumba (Candomble and Umbanda), and in the adaptation of Catholic religious iconography to Voodoo in the practice of Santeria, where saints have been adapted to substitute for specific voodoo gods. These examples are well known and publicly recognized. The Catholic Church has even been quietly tolerant of both Voodoo and Santeria for many years.

What fewer are aware of is the introduction of Voodoo symbology and worship into the culture of the United States through the medium of children's cartoons. Voodoo has always been syncretic and adaptable, and through the work of a few Boccor/Animators and sympathetic Voodoo practitioner producers in Hollywood the Lwa have found new forms and gained unprecedented access to generations of young television viewers. While recent attention has been focused on the popularity of the Kabbalah and ritual Jewish magic in Hollywood, the Lwa and Voodoo were there first and have already permeated the culture to a depth which few suspect.

Voodoo's invasion of children's animation began in the 1950s with the tentative work of early media-voodoo pioneers such as Art Clokey whose character Gumby clearly derives from the Jamaican festival spirit Goombay or Big Bwoy, an amorphous and confused buffoonish character who heralds the start of festival season. The similarity of the exaggerated features of the two characters is hard to miss.

Another tentative effort to introduce some Voodoo elements into a children's cartoon can be found in the popular 1980s cartoon Rainbow Brite which features a horse - a traditional symbol of Legba - which has a rainbow tail - clearly symbolic of Damballah. In the enormously popular Smurfs you can also see Voodoo themes portrayed, especially in the character of Smurfette whose position as a unique and powerful female figure surrounded by male cohorts clearly echoes the role of Irzuli in Voodoo mythology.

Unquestionably the height and full-blown realization of Voodoo in children's animation was in the still enormously popular Care Bears. Never has the use of Voodoo symbology been more clear and apparent, far more so than in Candomble or Santeria. From the very name of the cartoon to the look and behavior of the characters, Voodoo permeates the Care Bears universe.

Start with the name first. Who can deny the similarity between the name Care Bears and Carefours, the district of Port au Prince which is the heart of the Voodoo world? Can the cloud city of Care-a-Lot be anything but an idealized 'holy city' of the Lwa - a divine reflection of Carefours? Then consider some of the terminology. The Care Bears constantly want to 'Share until you care', just as the Lwa want to share the bodies of their worshipers. The Care Bears are constantly trying to be children's 'friends', just as the Voodoo Lwa are often referred to by their followers as 'friendly spirits' or just 'friends'.

Voodoo is a religion uniquely rich in symbology, particular the famous Veve symbols which represent each of the Lwa or Voodoo gods. These Veve are your key to connecting the Lwa and the Care Bears. Just as each Lwa has a Veve, each Care Bear has an arcane symbol represented on his round little tummy, and as you may already suspect, those symbols are suspiciously similar to the Veve of the major Voodoo Lwa.

The first obvious connection of a major Lwa with a Care Bear is between the goddess Erzulie and Love-a-Lot Bear. Erzulie's symbol is a heart, which might lead one to associate her with Tenderheart Bear who is also represented by a heart, but Love-a-Lot is the true Care Bear form of Erzulie, because the color pink is strongly associated with Erzulie, and Love-a-Lot's twin hearts represent the dual nature of Erzulie as both a goddess of love and motherhood (Erzulie La Siren) and also a goddess of seduction and jealousy (Erzulie Dantor). Clearly in the Care Bear universe Love-a-Lot is the embodiment of Erzulie.

Another clear connection with a very important Lwa is the association of Friend Bear with Legba. Not only are their symbols similar - crossed roses in both cases, but Legba is frequently referred to as 'A Friend', because of a prohibition against speaking his actual name. Legba is one of the most commonly called upon Lwa as an intercessor, and Friend Bear occupies a similarly prominent role as a go-between among the other Care Bears.

Also quite obvious is the connection between Damballah, who is symbolized by a rainbow and Cheer Bear who also bears the rainbow symbol. Cheer Bear, more than many other Care Bears, is shown using magical or mystical powers, characteristic of Damballah.

The parallels go on. The falling star symbol of Wish Bear is clearly equivalent to of the lightning bolt of Shango, while the storm cloud of Grumpy Bear is obviously symbolic of both the storm associations and general negative attitude of Capitaine Ogu. In fact, the cloud has a rather similar shape to the ship in Ogu's most common Veve. A close viewing of the movie Return to Care-a-Lot also reveals a scene in which a distracted Grumpy Bear mutters under his breath what sounds distinctly like Ogu's trademark greeting "Gren mi Fret" or "My Balls are Cold". And of course who could deny the similarity of Birthday Bear's symbolic cupcake and the funeral altar Veve associated with Baron Samedi?

Symbolic parallels can also be found between the central character Funshine bear who watches over the welfare of all the Care Bears with the over-god or super-Lwa Orisha. There are also repeated motifs in the Care Bear television episodes and movies which are impossible to deny. For example, they travel by magical ship again and again, clearly a reference to the slave ships which brought the first Voodoo practitioners to the new world. Even more significant, many of the Care Bears, especially Grumpy Bear (Capitaine Ogu) and Birthday Bear (Baron Samedi), are seen trying on hats and other disguises, clearly a nod to the characteristic behavior of the Guede Lwa who guard the dead and are known for wearing hats and fancy dress.

We can only guess at the motivation of these Hollywood animators in going to such lengths to incorporate Voodoo symbology in the characters of the Care Bears. Is it the outcome of a religiously motivated conspiracy as some would fear, merely that they were bored or starved for inspiration and found it in an unlikely location, or some something far more sinister? We may never know. Most of the animators involved in the original design of the Care Bears characters have either died under mysterious circumstances or are missing. In the case of character animator Lester Meyers, his disappearance was accompanied by a cryptic note suggesting that the was going to go find out the "truth about where the CBs come from," and his final credit card bill showed a charge for a ticket to Haiti. Nothing was ever heard from him again.

Should you be concerned for children exposed to the Care Bears? They are probably no more dangerous than notorious Pagan propaganda icons like The Transformers, or well documented Wiccan idol Strawberry Shortcake. However, if your child begins to spontaneously speak French to her stuffed Care Bear toys or if he puts on a top hat and takes up a cane and starts to dance a jig, the services of a Houngan might be called for.

Dave

Dave Nalle has been a magazine editor, freelance writer, capitol hill staffer, game designer and taught college history for many years. He now designs fonts for a living and lives with his family and pets just outside Austin. You can find his writings on politics and culture at Republic of Dave and works on designs and fonts at The Scriptorium.

Source:Blogcritics

Ghosts on film

I finally found it. Justin (exmk.net) sent this to me ages ago and neither one of us have been able to find it since. Until now, obviously.

Funny epitaph

In a cemetery in England:

Remember man, as you walk by,
As you are now, so once was I,
As I am now, so shall you be,
Remember this and follow me.

To which someone replied by writing on the tombstone:

To follow you I'll not consent,
Until I know which way you went.

source: Rosebud's epitaphs