Gunpowder And Ghosts

[poliphilo]

I think bonfire night is dying out. There were very few fireworks last night- and they stopped early. I smelled bonfires around tea-time, but I didn't see any.

Two explanations. One is that it's being swamped by Halloween. The other is that our safety-first culture is killing it. I saw a news item a few days back about a police task force in Liverpool that was going round confiscating "illegal" fireworks. They'd collected over a ton. Spoilsports, I thought.

A third possibility is that I've got a skewed view of things from living in a Muslim area.

Living TV had a show in which "acclaimed spirit medium" Derek Acorah investigated sites associated with the Gunpowder Plot, picking up on residual energy and talking to ghosts.  Professor Ron Hutton, historian of Wicca, was scoring his performance. Very impressive it was too, which points- I suppose- to his having done his research- which wasn't always the case on Most Haunted.  It sounds absurd, but this was actually quite a neat little history lesson- and I learned things I hadn't known before. When Acorah enacted the last moments of the gang's leader Robert Catesby-  who died clutching an image of the Virgin after charging a line of musketeers-  it was curiously moving.  Terrorists may be wicked in all manner of ways, but don't try telling me they aren't brave.

Comments

[ideealisme.livejournal.com]

Acorah was outed by Ciaran O'Keeffe from the Most Haunted show as a spectacular bullshitter..but do you believe any of the psychics are the real deal?

[serennos.livejournal.com]

He was wasn't he - Acorah came up with the name 'Kreed Kafer' after (I think) O'Keeffe got some blokes in a bar to talk about this (fictional) ex-person within earshot of Acorah.

'Kreed Kafer' being an anagram of 'Derek Faker'...

Mind you, I've personally seen things that I cannot explain and I don't think that this particularly disproves anything other than Acorah's believability.

[ideealisme.livejournal.com]

Yeah I think the sceptics are VERY dogmatic and determined to dismiss psychic tendencies.. It makes me a bit suspicious. And after reading an article about a study by Michael Persinger I'm even more interested - he has demonstrated that the ability to undergo a spiritual experience may be hard wired into the brain, and that some people just don't have it and therefore tend to dismiss it.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Acorah's credibility was totally destroyed by that episode. I believe in psychism. But I think most psychics- at least the ones who make a living at it- mix a good deal of showmanship and trickery into their acts.

I have a friend who sees spirits- and is terrified by it- and very much in denial.

[ideealisme.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I wonder if it actually wears off if you go public with it - the gos punishing people for making a living out of it?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

We used to read Tarot semi-professionally. We were quite good at it. It supported us through a brief period when we really needed the money, then when the need disappeared so did the gift.

[ibid.livejournal.com]

I know in many societies that practice Shamanism it's not something that's wanted. One of my Master's collegues did his research in Seoul and there was one guy whose guiding spirit was a female and she forbade him any relationships with women so it's pretty tough.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

If my spirit guide started bossing me around like that I think I'd sack her and get another.

[ibid.livejournal.com]

The spirit chooses you, not the other way round!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Hmm...I'm not sure I care for that arrangement

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

That has been my experience. I've known two people who could 'see' spirits, principally through their dreams. Both wished that they didn't. One drank heavily, because the alcohol interfered with remembering his dreams. The other eventually learned to banish, in order to ward off the worst of her visitations.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I do. I've knocked around with seers and psychics who don't trade on their gifts- and in some cases do their best to hide them. I liked the guy who took over from Acorah- David Wells- no-one has ever caught him cheating and he eventually resigned because- reading between the lines- he's serious about what he does and Yvette and Karl aren't.

[ideealisme.livejournal.com]

Yeah I always got the impression that he was a sincere person who took his vocation / work seriously. I find it hard to believe that ALL people who claim to have psychic abilities are just lying to get attention. Why would they do that?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Exactly. I've got a friend who sees spirits- and really, really wishes he didn't.

[ideealisme.livejournal.com]

You might want to point him to the Lesser Banishing Ritual:

http://www.angelpaths.com/lbr.htm

(but you're a druid so you might know this stuff already, apologies if I am teaching you to suck eggs :-)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Not a druid- a Wiccan (lapsed) :)

It annoys me he won't embrace his gift. I'd love to be able to see dead people.

[ideealisme.livejournal.com]

I'm kinda the same. I've perfect pitch and don't compose.

[serennos.livejournal.com]

I miss David Wells (and can't stand Brian Shepperd(sp.?)). thermian told me that David Wells left because he didn't agree with the messing about with darker spirits that seems to be going on now.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I used to watch it mainly for Wells. There was a M H Live last year- at Bolsover Castle- where he got seriously angry with the way Karl Beattie was arseing around.

I think that may have been his last gig.

I note from his website that he doesn't do stage mediumship. Good for him!

[ideealisme.livejournal.com]

was that the "sleep no more" thingie where Karl and Ciaran invoked a curse? Didn't seem to do them any harm though.

(btw sorry for being all over this thread like a rash, I'm fascinated by the paranormal)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That's the one.

I went and visited Bolsover Castle on the strength of it. Fascinating place.

I've always been fascinated by the paranormal too- from childhood- which is why it frustrates me that I never see anything.

[ideealisme.livejournal.com]

maybe try requesting a message of some sort from your nearest friendly deceased person. That seems to work for me, and I'm as psychic as a cheese sandwich.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

My father (I think) has made his presence known through setting off electrical appliances. And once he sent me a message through my daughter.

[serennos.livejournal.com]

I didn't see that one. I did see the most recent MHL though, and it got me wondering... If there is an entity that answers to 'Prince of Darkness', and respects salt circles, but anyone else is fair game, am I quite safe sitting on my sofa while the TV yells for things to happen? I'm fairly sure I'm safe :)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I haven't watched it since Wells left.

I don't believe the real Prince of Darkness (if he exists) would deign to turn up at one of Karl and Yvette's seances. And if he did I don't believe a circle of salt would deter him.

[serennos.livejournal.com]

Very true!