Spirits

When we first moved here, quite often I would notice movement and sometimes actual figures in the near periphery of the boxes I was attempting to unpack. I felt no fear of these strange sightings, or powerless...but I remember wondering who they all were. And why were they converging on me?


Most were dressed in old-fashioned clothing...I recall one in particular who wore what appeared to be tan coloured canvas pants, thick brown boots, and a heavy, woollen brown coat.  He was bent under a backpack tied to his back, and he carried a long, wooden stick...I can see him in my mind's eye now, as I write this.


He smiled at me when he appeared, for only a few moments. I smiled back. There seemed to be little else I could do...

But I was left shaking my head in wonder and awe, as his figure disappeared from sight. And eventually, I took the sightings for what they were...a true welcome to a part of the country I had not even visited before.


At the beginning, there was a flurry of sightings.  After a bit, these began to fade and it became rare to catch a glimpse of these amorphous Spirits.

And so I felt perhaps the sightings were over, although I still continued to be conscious there were Spirits about. Even for the Cariboo,where wildlife is abundant, I managed to connect with an amazing number of wild animals.


And quite often, those animals did strange things, things uncharacteristic of a wild animal's behaviour. Each and every occurrence left me awestruck. I noticed my faith...my belief in a Universal connection to all beings...becoming stronger, even more deeply entrenched.


There are signs throughout the property of someone practicing their spirituality. Boulders in certain areas, within well-defined circles of smaller Stones, are palpable in their energy which radiates outward with great warmth towards the receiver.


I have found small Stones placed on stumps or Rocks. I feel, because of their placement, they denote East and West, North and South. Beyond this, what each Stone represents is left to the imagination and sure knowledge.


With the big, tall Fir trees surrounding our home, it feels like a natural cathedral, especially when Sun eases his long fingers into the Forest and caresses each branch...lighting it from within. It is very easy for me to see how there may have been ceremonies, ancient or otherwise, here, then...

I am not the only one, here in this home, who senses other beings. Our two Dogs become strangely cowed when a visitor(s) manifests. I know they see him/her; I have not, so far, other than very early on.


Nate, for example, has his experiences on a certain portion of the deck.  There are times when he will not pass a very innocuous looking few feet, to come towards me. He becomes completely cowed, very anxious and whines desperately, all the while looking towards something in a totally abject way.


Not even a biscuit will make him pass that spot.

Lucky will,  on some mornings when I awake, have anxiety and worry written all over him. On those mornings, Nate will look at me with deep thankfulness the dark night is through.  And after I am up and about, they will settle and sleep for the rest of the day...unusual behaviour in itself.


It is as if they guard us on some nights; I can only imagine who they see...but I can feel leftover energy on those mornings.


The Spirits' energies are benevolent for the most part, but I have sensed there may be some which are not. And these are the ones who will make me smudge later in the day.

And there is a space on this property I do not like. It is dark, dank even on the hottest day. My main impression of it is one of blackness...I barely see the tall, thin Trees which attempt to grow there. For the most part, I avoid it. Better to leave it be.



As time goes by, I hope to have more experiences, here, on this magical Land. Each one is miraculous, each one has its own special blessings.

I am, in particular, looking forward to Hallowe'en, when the veil between planes of existence is thinner than usual. Who will make their energy felt this weekend?



My beliefs are not mainstream. I am grateful for the opportunity to live a life which shows me, on an everyday basis, my practice of spirituality is right for me... and with that, I am the recipient of an inner calm and peace.


For the most part. 


Chasing bad Spirits away from our Dogs can tend to chip away at that peace, a bit!

Spirit's Eve

The veil between Worlds is thin during the days preceding, including and following Halloween.

The boundaries become translucent. Spirits of all kinds wander the Earth, trying once more to experience Life.

Odd dreams have populated my sleep these last few nights, dreams which are disturbing and unexplainable. I catch glimpses of people, here and there, as I work in what will be a garden.

These phantoms...they no longer startle me.  I have accepted their curiosity. And I most often feel approval emanating from them.

But not always. 

I am accustomed to being visited by Spirits. I do not always see them, but the feeling, when they arrive, is unmistakable. The Spirits who visit most often...close family and friends...have a familiar energy.  I welcome those energies, which sometimes coalesce into a vague human form, with all my heart.

However, the last few nights, I have been visited by one who is not someone I know. When I feel his darker energy, I feel deep fear.

This phantom growls.  He moves items, noisily and with intent, so that I may be startled awake. The night becomes blacker and deeper...there are no shadows.

I can see nothing. But I feel and hear him...and I quickly cover every inch of my body, telling myself I'm dreaming...telling myself to wake up, yet knowing I am not asleep...

I shook it off, the next day. I fully accept not all Spirits are good. However, it is very rare for me to be visited by a malevolent one.

Busy with the day, the deep fear faded within me.

I had almost forgotten, as I prepared myself for sleep, dozing in that wonderful pre-sleep, floating through the day gone by......

Very suddenly, peace departed...to be replaced by sheer black terror. It became very hard to breathe, as I struggled to contain my fear. Recognizing, honouring and controlling this fear is imperative when being visited.


Fear clouds awareness; I needed to know this being, in order to deal with him. And fear drains my power.


I become angry, as is common for me when I am overwhelmed by enormous presentiment. I sit up in the deep darkness, pushing my energy out, to the forefront. I decide I do not want to be frightened by this dead being, night after night.


And so, I feel I must stand and face this fearful Thing.


As I do, fearfulness fades...and curiosity takes its place. What or who is emanating such black energy?


In the midst of what I consider to be very disruptive noise, Graham sleeps on...as do the dogs. The visitor is here for me alone.

I feel my guides near.  I feel protected by my Guardian medallion, which I had slipped under my pillow earlier. Yet there is an intense pressure...a force keeping me still...


I negotiate. Let me know your intent, I say, Why are you here? But there are only strange growls in reply. I sense, also, a feeling of futility and sadness.


The growls and banging fade.  The Night becomes soft and shadowy once again, the furniture outlined clearly against the walls. The entity has departed.


Sleeps eludes for awhile; I decide to smudge with clear intent in the morning. As I lay in wonderment and perplexity, I considered the fact we had excavated an area where I felt a very strong energy field. Perhaps, even with all the preparations I undertook, with respect to the land, something feels displaced and disoriented.



After a thorough smudging and blessing, last night's sleep was undisturbed, by the being, at least.  Dreams, however, were troubling, with no apparent meaning.


But the memory of this dark force has me unsettled. Who, what, why? There are no answers, as yet. However, I feel  I must prepare.


Halloween...the Night the Spirits walk...has yet to arrive.

Who Were They?

This morning my horoscope advised me not to whine.

I am known for my deep ability to whine and whimper over not getting my way. So I decided to practice acceptance of conditions the Universe decides to send my way.

It's Wednesday. Usually, I would have travelled to visit my daughter and grandchildren today.

The aberrant weather, however, warned me not to attempt the trip...weather warnings were posted everywhere, of a huge Snow storm blanketing the area.

We received some Snow last week, which melted into slush during the following sunny days...and then froze overnight. The roads are sheets of Ice, in the morning. As difficult as it was...Wednesday mornings with my family are infinitely precious to me...I stayed at home.

Did I whine? Yes. Did I complain? Yes. For awhile, I forgot I wasn't to do this. In my befuddled state this morning, I told Graham I was going to make Lemons out of lemonade. He wished me luck.

Hmmm...

On my way to answer correspondence on the computer, I happened to glance out the office window, just in time to see the Snow plough blade hit the recycling box stationed at the side of the road for pickup. Cans and bottles and papers settled in the snow, and the blue box ended up upside down a fair distance from where it originally sat.

The plough carried on, faster than most vehicles drive on this road. A few choice words found their way past my lips, until I remembered...no whining and whinging.

This is where things got a little strange. Weird. Goosebumpy, even.

There was nothing for it, but to go and pick up the recycling. Certainly the snow plough guys were not going to come back and fix what they did. It was up to me, complaints or not.

As I picked up the cans and whatnot, I noticed, very suddenly, that there were people around me. I wondered where they came from...it was very early, the morning still darkened by ferociously cold weather.

But I'd my head down, so I assumed they were out for walks...until I remembered seeing this same group of people the time our garbage can had been overturned, and I was out picking up garbage. They had a familiar energy signature...I had met them before.

We discussed the shameful practice of having a snow plough hit the recycling container. I was advised to call the Town to complain. I demurred, saying it was my day to not complain at each and every thing that occurred to me.

They muttered amongst themselves, as I continued to pick up the recyclables. Intending to change the subject, I brought up the weather. One man told me I would feel the East Wind soon and as he spoke, recycled papers went flying across the yard from a blast of Wind from the Ocean.

I turned my back on the group to chase down the papers, and when I turned back...there was only one gentleman there...

I glanced up and down the road...nothing. Only the howl of Wind.

The gentleman continued speaking, telling me he had lived not far from here long ago. He asked if there was still a problem with water running down from the Park. His voice rose with the sound of the rushing Wind. I answered as best I could, still searching for the other people. He did not seem concerned, just continued to pass the time of day. He told me it was a great time for a walk, but that I was to stay put and not go wandering off over the Hump, a word used by locals to describe the mountain pass I would have to travel over, in order to visit my daughter.

I wanted to ask him...What happened to the other people? Where did they go?

I was afraid he would answer...Who?

And when did I tell him I had thought of going to Port Alberni?

As addled as I was quickly becoming, I took a closer look at the man. His face looked as if it could break into smiles at any moment, it was wreathed in round wrinkles. He was dressed warmly, in what looked like those pea coats we used to wear, way back in the sixties. He wore a Homburg hat, a hat that looked very similar to the ones the gangsters in the movies wear. And he wore a green muffler. And he had on brown leather gloves.

He kept speaking...I felt I couldn't interrupt. As Wind picked up speed, as leaves flew and my hair loosened from its braid, he told me the Hump was going to be a mess, this afternoon. He smiled, said...Be thankful you're not on that highway. Better to stay put.

I only nodded my head, wondering how he knew I was considering making the trip after lunch.

By this time, my eyes were as big as basketballs, but he remained cheery. He lifted his hand, wished me a good day, and walked away, along the road. I watched him for a minute, wondering if he would disappear as well, but he was still there as I walked back into the house.

Who were the others...where were the others? I know all my neighbours, by sight, at least. They were not my neighbours, and there wasn't a house that they could suddenly walk into, either, unless it was mine.

And who was this amazing man?

In the long run, perhaps it doesn't matter. This episode took me aback because it happened when I was fully aware. I wasn't sleeping, and receiving messages from figures that appear to me in my dreams.

I wasn't meditating or journeying, wherein I am able to travel to other realms and where seeing people surrounding me is a matter of course.

I was wide awake. In the early morning cold...busy picking up recyclables. Fully in touch with my surroundings.

I believe these people were warning me. In my headstrong manner, where my heart ruled my mental acumen, I had considered travelling over the Hump in the afternoon. Perhaps I may have been involved in an accident, perhaps it was not the time to challenge the weather.

Who were they?

All I know is, allies and guardians show up in all shapes and sizes.

And I'm grateful.