Saturday, March 17, 2012

Story Submitted by Grant Kellie



I came upon your blog while doing research on a haunting that has been going on in the Marshfield area. I didn't see anything written on it and thought I would submit what has been witnessed here.

McMillan Marsh is located on the northern end of Marshfield and the McMillan Township. You may be familiar with the "Jurustic" Park off Highway E. The area in question though can be reached by going north on St. Joseph Avenue to where it dead ends into Mann Road. To the east is an entrance into the marsh along a gravel road.

I noticed something weird about eight years ago when my parents moved into a house near the marsh. Whenever I was near the woods on that end I felt watched...especially when I walked down the gravel path and into the woods. I never thought much of it. It just creeped me out and I avoided going in there.

But then a few years ago I was discussing this with coworkers and they confirmed a similar eerie feeling as they approached that area. The most disturbing part was that three different coworkers stated that as they walked on the gravel path and into the woods, they saw a "shadow person" in the woods walking parallel to them in the corner of their eye.

And then two winters ago a friend told me that he went turkey hunting there early one morning and distinctly saw a bearded man, dressed like someone from the 19th century, in the woods from out of no where. And as quickly as he saw him, the man was gone.

McMillan Marsh is open to the public so anyone can go there and check it out. Just be sure that you are on the gravel path into the woods near the St. Joseph and Mann Road intersection. It seems to be most active in the early morning hours and in late winter on particularly cold nights. The spirit has been described not so much as scary, just confused and possibly unaware that he is dead.


Sunday, March 11, 2012

Ritual Cleansing


Article from CPS Paranormal

The Sacred Smoke Bowl Blessing

'Smudging' is the common name given to the "Sacred Smoke Bowl Blessing," a powerful cleansing technique from the Native American tradition. It is a ritual way to cleanse a person, place or an object of negative energies or influences. The theory behind smudging is that the smoke attaches itself to negative energy and as it clears it takes the negative energy with it, releasing it into another space to be regenerated. Sage is burned in smudging ceremonies to drive out evil spirits, negative thoughts and feelings, and to keep Gan'n (negative entities) away from areas where ceremonials take place. In the Plains Sweatlodge, the floor of the structure is strewn with sage leaves for the participants to rub on their bodies during the sweat. Sage is also used in keeping sacred objects like pipes or Peyote wands safe from negative influence. In the Sioux nation, the Sacred Pipe is kept in a bundle with sage boughs.

Smudging is very effective when you've been feeling depressed, angry, resentful or unwell or after you have had an argument with someone. It is also great to smudge yourself, the space and all the guests or participants before a ritual or ceremony or celebration. You can smudge your own auric field, the spaces of your home, car or work area. You can use smudging to cleanse crystals, gemstones, altars, sacred books, or any other spiritual item.

Different types of herb for different uses:

Sage: Healing, Out with the bad

There are two major genii and several varieties of each genus of Sage that are used for smudging. Salvia, or the herb sage used for cooking, comes in two major varieties: S. Officinalis, commonly known as Garden Sage, and S. Apiana, commonly known as White Sage. Salvia varieties have long been acknowledged as healing herbs, reflected in the fact that its genus name comes from the Latin root word "salvare", which is the verb "to heal" or "to save."

Cedar: Purifying, In with the good

True cedar is of the Thuja and Libocedrus genii. Cedar is burnt while praying to the Great Spirit (Usen', the Source--also known to Plains nations as Wakan Tanka) in meditation, and also to bless a house before moving in as is the tradition in the Northwest and Western Canada. It works both as a purifier and as a way to attract good energy in your direction, it cleanses and chases away life-negative energies and beings.

Sweetgrass: Blessing, Goodness and Warmth

Sweetgrass is very important to the Sioux and Cherokee nations, its botanical name is Hierochloe Oderata. Used for general blessing--for making a home a warm, inviting place. In these tribes, the sweetgrass is braided like hair. Sweetgrass is burnt after smudging with sage, to welcome in good influences after the bad had been driven out. Cedar can also be safely be used this way. Also Pinon pine needles (used more frequently by the Southwest Teneh, like the Navajo and Apache as well as the Pueblo people and the Zuni) and Copal (used by the Yaqui and in ancient times by the Azteca and the Maya) have similar effects.

Other Ritual or Ceremonial Herbs


Sagebrush (artemesia) is for calling up spirit (empowering) or calling in spirits.

Mugwort stimulates psychic awareness and acts a strong cleanser of negative energies.

Lavender restores balance, and creates a peaceful atmosphere and attracts loving energy.

What does the "smudge kit" symbolize?

Each part of the smudge kit signifies an element, that becomes transmuted into the fifth element: ether, or life energy:



  • - The shell represents the element of WATER
  • - The unlit herbs and ashes represents the EARTH
  • - The lit herb represents the FIRE
  • - The smoke represents the AIR

How to Smudge:


Before you begin:



• Cautions:



  • - Make sure the area you are smudging is well ventilated. This is a health precaution, as well as a spiritually practical one as well, as the negative energy will need an "escape route."
  • -Do not use near infants or very young children; people with respiratory problems such as or asthma, or pregnant women.
  • - Never leave burning smudge unattended.
  • - Place some sand or soil or even salt in the bottom of the container to provide insulation as otherwise the container could scorch a surface it is placed upon.


• Preparations:


  • - Clean the area to be smudged. Remove unnecessary clutter that creates energy blockages. Vacuum and dust if possible.
Begin Smudging:

• Focus on your intent:

Any action, undertaken with intention and belief can become a potent ritual. Consider your intention before you smudge and hold it clearly in your mind. You may wish to invite the spirit of the herbs to join you and guide and assist with your intention.


A candle flame is recommended to light the herbs as it may take a little time to get the herb smoking. Once there's a flame, put it out so that the herb is smoldering, not burning. Wave the flame with your hand or feather to put out the fire. Allow the smudge herbs to smolder, freeing the smoke to circle in the air.

If you are smudging a group, smudge yourself first. Offer smoke to the seven directions (east, south, west, north and up, down and center) sometimes called the cardinal directions.


• Smudging yourself

Fan the swirls of smoke around your body from head to toe with your hands or feather. (Blowing the smoke is not encouraged as this is considered as blowing negativity into the smoke.).You may want to especially focus on chakra areas where you feel there are blockages or where there has been or is physical, emotional, or psychic pain. Visualize the smoke lifting away all the negative thoughts, emotions and energies that have attached themselves to you. If you are feeling depressed for instance you could visualize the smoke carrying away all your feelings of depression.


• Smudging another

It is often appropriate to smudge guests as they enter the space at a ritual, ceremony or special event. Smudge as if you were smudging yourself, fanning the smoke all over their body. You may want to speak an intention or a suggestion for the smudging as you do it. For instance, "Allow the sacred smoke to cleanse your body and spirit and bring you present and available into this moment"


• During healing work

During healing work, the smoke may be fanned over the person either by your hand or with feathers. This clears out unhealthy energies and brings in the special attributes of the herbs. You may also direct smudge to each of the person's chakras and as you do so visualize each chakra coming into balance as it is purified by the smudge. If you can see auras, look for discolored places in the aura and direct the healing smoke towards those places on the patient's body.


• Smudging a room or space

For cleansing a house, first offer smoke to the four directions outside the house, starting with the east, then south, west and ending with the north. Beginning with the lowest level of your house, and moving upward, light the smudge and walk about the perimeter, giving special attention to the corners and the places behind doors. You can also fan the smoke throughout the room with a large feather. Repeat the following either out loud, or in your mind:

I break up and release all negative and stagnant energy in this place. May peace light and divine love protect us and be ever present.


• Cleansing objects

Hold the objects to be purified in the smoke or fan the smoke over them. If you are clearing your crystals prior to programming them thank both them and the herbs for helping you to realize your goals.


Extinguishing the smudge

Have ready a fireproof receptacle such as another shell or a glass or ceramic dish to put the smudge in when you've finished. It's ideal to damp the herb out in sand, or earth or you can just press it against the bottom of the receptacle. Always make sure that a smoldering smudge herb is out before leaving the room where you keep it.


How often should I smudge?

At least at the beginning of every season. You can smudge once a day if you like, and is recommended daily for health or spirit practitioners.


Disclaimer: Good sense and responsibility on the part of the user is expected


Types of EVPs


Article from CPS Paranormal

This is a rapidly evolving field of study, and our reported understanding of what EVP are and how they are formed should be considered “what we think today,” rather than: how it is.” The voices in EVP are formed in three very different ways, but both are dependent on supplied audio-frequency energy.


Transform EVP:

Traditionally EVP formation has involved the transformation of available audio-frequency energy into voice, which is thought to occur in the electronic equipment. The resulting signal is seen as a simulation of human voice which may very closely mimic the physical voice of the person thought to be speaking. This includes nuances of voice, such as accent, age, sex and attitude. Analysis of the resulting voice usually shows novel arrangement of formants (frequency grouping by octave of the voice box frequency developed during passage through the mouth35) and fragmented voice box frequencies (Formant 0).13 Transform EVP was traditionally accomplished by using radio static (a readily available source of sound in the early days of EVP study) as background sound. Current Best Practices involve the use of un-modulated noise, such as supplied by a fan, but most EVP are recorded today using a digital voice recorder, and the device tends to provide ample noise for voice formation during normal operation.


Random Selection:

This depends on a random process which is thought to be influenced by the communicating entity. In the application known as EVPMaker.36 A pre-recorded sound file containing voice is stored in a buffer, and then a random process selects segments of the stored file from the buffer to produce a new audio file. Recorded human speech has been traditionally used, but the AA-EVP has discouraged use of any form of “live voice” for EVP experimentation. However, EVP-maker developer, Stefan Bion, has recently provided a sound file containing speech fragments known as allophones, which have been generated by a speech synthesis program. In this application, if a word is present in the output, it must be “fortuitously formed” by a chance arrangements of allophones or it must be the product of intended manipulation of the random process. The deciding factor is whether or not the utterance is meaningful for the circumstance. An example of this is at real-time, two-way conversations.



Environmental control of speech synthesis:

A new approach to EVP has been the use of environmental energy sensors to control the operation of a speech synthesis process. In the Paranormal Puck,37 this is accomplished by sensing environmental electromagnetic, temperature, magnetism or electrical changes around the device. The device connects to a computer via a USB cable and the computer has a supplied program that uses the sensor information to control a micro-chip in the peripheral device to produce voice. See real-time, two-way conversations for an example of this form of EVP.



What is probably not EVP:

We are working on an article titled EVP Formation, intended to help explain what we know about EVP today. An important part of that article is a discussion about common factors. Based on those common factors, and the result of other studies, we have begun to feel confident in saying that certain technologies (probably) do not produce EVP. The technology that comes up most often is radio sweep, and in a case study, we report that it probably does not produce EVP as it is reported. There are clearly instances in which the noise produced by rapidly sweeping radio stations is used to produce transform EVP when the sweep output is recorded. The radio sweep process may be beneficial as an aid to the operator's intuitive understanding of the question.