Neptune--Dance of Deception: What Are You Fooled By? How Do We Deceive Ourselves?

  By Susan Sheppard

Astrologers have long recognized the qualities of the planet Neptune as ones that govern the mystical sides of life, the riches of the imagination and our ability to be compassionate. Neptune dissolves boundaries which means it is the planet of oneness. But Neptune's lack of clarity can also bring on confusion and self-delusion.  We’ve all been there, seeing what we want to in the face of what reality shows us, which does not align with the vision.

Since Neptune is connected to fantasy and story-telling, the placement of this watery planet in our natal chart is where we tend to lie to ourselves. If Neptune is strong enough, you may also lie to others without the awareness of doing so.

We all have a Neptune which falls in one of the houses in our natal birth charts. So how is it that we plunge into Neptune’s self-deception? What are you fooled by? Where is your basis of reality and truth challenged?

You will need to have your natal birth chart to find out where Neptune was when you were born. You can get a free chart by going to this link:  http://alabe.com/freechart/  Look for the symbol which looks like a pitchfork and see which house it falls in.

 

Neptune in the 1st House   This placement causes you to be greatly talented, connected, even visionary but it truly circumvents your ability to see clearly and reason effectively. The shadow side to this would be a belief that religion, being spaced-out or drugs can somehow save you from harsh realities.  As a lover of peace and all things beautiful, shunning the ugliness of what life on this cosmic bit of dirt can sometimes send you into escapism-- instead of facing your issues head on. Best use of this Neptune placement is through art and showing love to the infinite which you see in all people. In many ways you are a savior. Be sure to also watch out for yourself while you are saving others. Also, be careful when it comes to medications.

Neptune in the 2nd House  Money is a problem area. You don’t have as much as you need or you tend to spend more than you have. In many ways, you do not attach much value to money and handle it in ways that to others may deem irresponsible. Much of this is related to your own self-worth and what value you see in yourself. With more discipline and paying closer attention to your finances, you actually have the ability to draw vast amounts of resources into your life --- they key is, understanding what money is for – not for thrills or escape. Just make sure you don’t squander or give it away as soon as you have what you have worked for.

Neptune in the 3rd House This is the placement of the poet, the singer or the psychic medium. It is also the position for a fantastic liar whose skills are best served in writing, storytelling or acting. Frankly, life is bland because bland people make it that way – when Neptune falls in the 3rd House in the birth chart, the native is going to invent to make life more tolerable. So, the person here fools herself with her own embellishments and believes them, too. Positively, this is a powerful position for a medium to have – it is the human voice divinely linked to the vast ocean of cosmic consciousness.

Neptune in the 4th House Unfortunately, your area of deception and being misled relates to your family or early childhood. Perhaps a parent proved to be confusing, absent, preoccupied by other matters or was substance addicted.  Perhaps substance abuse plays a role in family problems. Maybe your family lied about who they were, or projected a false image to people outside the family. This position of Neptune also indicates a rich inner life, being prone to isolation and involvement in fantasies. You are likely very nurturing as an adult due to the fact over lack of proper nurturing given as a child. Be clear about who you family really is, what their motives are and what you can truly expect from them.
 

Neptune in the 5th House You do not view romance and romantic partners very accurately. This can bring a great deal of confusion in your life, especially when it comes to those you are attracted to for love and passion. It could be you attract some who intentionally fool you, or you are just not seeing potential lovers in a correct light. Part of the problem, you are highly romantic by nature, plus, wildly creative and imaginative. You may expect too much from lovers who cannot be anything more than just ordinary. Of course, you see the dream and this is how you are fooled. It could be no one has really mis-led you…you saw things that may not have been there. However, profound love with a lover you are connected to in a deep and involving way, can happen. Romance for you will not be dull.

Neptune in the 6th House Having to keep up with a job and daily routine may prove to be a living hell. Here is Neptune in your house of organization, causing your life to be “anything but.” Your daily job may also be an area for chaos. Thus, you may find yourself moving from job to job without the satisfaction you hope for. Managing anything is an impossible task and you may lie to yourself about what you are really good at.  You are a helper by nature. A job or career in the health fields may ideally suit you. Helping others out of rough spots, and caring for those whom others have forgotten is a part of your angel nature.  You may also fool yourself about co-workers, allowing them to take credit for your work and even help them take advantage of you. You would do well working in the arts, or showing kindnesses toward others.

Neptune in the 7th House  The people you choose as partners tend to be not very trustworthy and it is likely they are not at all who you think they are. This is especially true when it comes to romantic partners, or those individuals you allow to creep into your life and latch on, even before you realize what is happening. You are unable to see their manipulations and sleight-of-hand tricks. Many of them will rely upon pity in order to use you. Even worse, a number of them might even be substance abusers. Sometimes you are aware of this and sometimes you are not. Your real gift though, is bringing out the good in others and showing them the positive in themselves. It’s a good idea to be more careful over allowing some who force their way into your life. Vampires stay away when you don’t invite them in.

Neptune in the 8th House  The 8th House governs money and sex. Neptune in the 8th indicates you are likely a very giving person, sharing all that you have with partners, as well as others, but this can set you up for fraud, especially of a financial nature. There may be imbalances in your sex life, whether you give too much and your partner gives too little or vice versa. Neptune in the 8th House can sometimes indicate indiscriminate sexual practices, where you could end up being used. Make sure everyone else’s intentions are as good as yours are. Where you fool yourself is believing there are no boundaries between you and others. This can be suffocating, to yourself and others. This placement causes you to be greatly psychic but the supernatural should be an area of caution.

Neptune in the 9th House The 9th House is the home to religion, metaphysics and philosophy in the zodiac wheel... and these are areas in which you tend to lose yourself.  You tend to be easily tricked when it comes to spiritual movements, churches and even New Age philosophies. This can have you turning your life over to some higher power, wanting your problems and issues to be fixed by spiritual doctrines or religions, when the bottom line is the fact that you have to do it on your own. You are the only one who can make these needed changes. Your strong points are your idealism and a belief in the importance of concepts that go beyond just you.  Indeed, you are not selfish, just the opposite. Just be clear in the spiritual discipline you decide to follow and understand it is for the inspiration. It is you on the quest – inspiration is fine but you are your own guru or master.

Neptune in the 10th House  When it comes to the 10th House, we are talking about the world, fame and the public at large, so you are not so much of a self-sabotager as you are a victim of other people’s views and distorted thinking. A visionary, an artist, a public official, humanitarian, psychic, whatever way you decide to use your 10th House Neptune— the public will tend not to see you accurately or even fairly. This can be frustrating, leading to feelings of being unfairly judged time and time again, and being at the mercy of other people’s shadow-side projections. You do have some distorted thinking about one or more of your parents, either believing them to be much worse or much better than they really were. The good news is, whatever you do, people pay attention. You have a charismatic influence over the masses and are talented in the arts, especially anything that deals with a stage or public arena. You could also become famous.

 

Neptune in the 11th House  You can look at this two ways, you may feel you have the best bunch of friends in the world or the worst crowd of dead beats and latch ons that even a stake through the heart couldn’t drive away. Here is a possibility: the way you fool yourself is that your friends drag you down but you aren’t so cognizant of it as it is happening.  Such friends waste your time and your energy, but still you can see some good in them, thus, you don’t’ want to cut them off—and so, it festers. This, of course, is the shadow side. The good news is, you also attract artists, creative folk, those who move in their own way, their own time and not according to society’s standards. You should be wary of any groups you join, as they may not be what they claim. They exception to this would be artistic or spiritual groups, in which you would excel. 

Neptune in the 12th House  What you can’t seem to see about yourself is how your tendency to isolate yourself does not serve you. In fact, in keeps you from making the professional and social connections you need to have in order to achieve your most cherished dreams. After all, your dream life is very powerful and you have a whole list of visions you hope to manifest into reality. But they tend to either go to waste or you never finish them. Your imagination is so very potent it almost seems to make your body weak. You do suffer a lot from low energy or poor health. Others seem to deplete your energy, while in being alone you seem to grow stronger. The real truth is, you etheric or spiritual body is quite open and easy to penetrate. You are highly sensitive to any negative influences, whether they be actual people or even spirits. Meditation and skills at psychic self defense would truly be an asset. You can accomplish much in solitude but not everything. You fool yourself into thinking other people don’t like you when in reality, they really do.

 

Hand of Glory: A Grisly Oddity

In past times, the “Hand of Glory” was a grisly talisman used by thieves in a very corrupt and illegal form of magic. Used mostly 18th century France and England, the Hand of Glory was the severed hand of a thief who had been freshly executed at the crossroads.        

The night after the hanging, other robbers would sneak in, cut off the hand of the dead man, take the hand home and soak it in lamp oil, then marinate it in pepper, nitrate, salt, the blood of a screech owl, human fat and other dastardly ingredients.
            The severed hand was made into a candle that would render sleeping people powerless once the thieves broke into their homes, using the severed hand not only as a magical charm, but also a torch to light the way. In some cases, another candle was fashioned from the blood and fat of the dead man. Then the candle was wedged between the fingers of the hand.
            In any event, as the thieves would collect their loot, they would light a fire and recite this rhyme while the dreaded hand burned as a taper against the darkness:
Hand of Glory shining bright lead us to our spoils tonight!

Under the power of the dreaded Hand of Glory, no one in the house would wake up to discover the crime in progress. It had the unusual capacity to unlock doors. All in the home would sleep on as the thieves would flood in with their gorey charms— the family would be unaware of the burglary.
            These grisly talismans may seem to have no place in our modern age but there are dozens Hands of Glory displayed in museums in England and France. The poet Robert Graves wrote that “Hand of Glory” translated from the French main de glorie is derived from the word mandragore, related to the mandrake root, a plant also said to help thieves stay anonymous with its powers.

It was believed that during the dog days of summer, households could protect themselves from Hand of Glory spells by creating a special unguent made from the fat of a white hen, the gall of a black cat and the blood of a screech owl.  The ointment was then spread on thresholds, window panes, and any other entrance of a home. On a mundane level, it might be the robbers also believed that since the first thief was already caught, his ghost might watch over them as their “Hand of Glory,” which is no doubt one of the most gruesome magical talismans in the world.

Here are just three fascinating Hand of Glory narratives from a book of "Hand of Glory Stories" published by Pittsburgh Press:

1#

One evening, between the years 1790 and 1800, a traveler, dressed in woman's clothes, arrived at the Old Spital Inn, the place where the mail coach changed horses, in High Spital, on Bowes Moor. The traveler begged to stay all night, but had to go away so early in the morning that if a mouthful of food were set ready for breakfast there was no need the family should be disturbed by her departure. The people of the house, however, arranged that a servant maid should sit up till the stranger was out of the premises, and then went to bed themselves.

The girl lay down for a nap on the longsettle by the fire, but before she shut her eyes she took a good look at the traveler, who was sitting on the opposite side of the hearth, and espied a pair of man's trousers peeping out from under the gown.

All inclination for sleep was now gone; however, with great self-command, she feigned it, closed her eyes, and even began to snore. On this the traveler got up, pulled out of his pocket a dead man's hand, fitted a candle to it, lighted the candle, and passed hand and candle several times before the servant girl's face, saying as he did so: "Let all those who are asleep be asleep, and let those who are awake be awake." This done, he placed the light on the table, opened the outer door, went down two or three of the steps which led from the house to the road, and began to whistle for his companions

The girl (who had hitherto had presence of mind enough to remain perfectly quiet) now jumped up, rushed behind the ruffian, and pushed him down the steps. She then shut the door, locked it, and ran upstairs to try and wake the family, but without success: calling, shouting, and shaking were alike in vain. The poor girl was in despair, for she heard the traveler and his comrades outside the house. So she ran down again, and seized a bowl of blue (i.e., skimmed milk), and threw it over the hand and candle; after which she went upstairs again, and awoke the sleepers without any difficulty.

The landlord's son went to the window, and asked the men outside what they wanted. They answered that if the dead man's hand were but given them, they would go away quietly, and do no harm to anyone. This he refused, and fired among them, and the shot must have taken effect, for in the morning stains of blood were traced to a considerable distance.

These circumstances were related to my informant, Mr. Charles Wastell, in the spring of 1861, by an old woman named Bella Parkin, who resided close to High Spital, and was actually the daughter of the courageous servant girl.

#2

Two magicians, having come to lodge in a public house with a view to robbing it, asked permission to pass the night by the fire, and obtained it. When the house was quiet, the servant girl, suspecting mischief, crept downstairs and looked through the keyhole. She saw the men open a sack, and take out a dry, withered hand. They anointed the fingers with some unguent, and lighted them. Each finger flamed, but the thumb they could not light; that was because one of the household was not asleep.

The girl hastened to her master, but found it impossible to arouse him. She tried every other sleeper, but could not break the charmed sleep. At last, stealing down into the kitchen, while the thieves were busy over her master's strongbox, she secured the hand, blew out the flames, and at once the whole household was aroused.

#3

One dark night, when all was shut up, there came a tap at the door of a lone inn in the middle of a barren moor. The door was opened, and there stood without, shivering and shaking, a poor beggar, his rags soaked with rain, and his hand white with cold. He asked piteously for a lodging, and it was cheerfully granted him; there was not a spare bed in the house, but he could lie on the mat before the kitchen fire, and welcome.

So this was settled, and everyone in the house went to bed except the cook, who from the back kitchen could see into the large room through a pane of glass let into the door. She watched the beggar, and saw him, as soon as he was left alone, draw himself up from the floor, seat himself at the table, extract from his pocket a brown withered human hand, and set it upright in the candlestick. He then anointed the fingers, and applying a match to them, they began to flame. Filled with horror, the cook rushed up the back stairs, and endeavored to arouse her master and the men of the house. But all was in vain--they slept a charmed sleep; so in despair she hastened down again, and placed herself at her post of observation.

She saw the fingers of the hand flaming, but the thumb remained unlighted, because one inmate of the house was awake. The beggar was busy collecting the valuables around him into a large sack, and having taken all he cared for in the large room, he entered another.

On this the woman ran in, and, seizing the light, tried to extinguish the flames. But this was not so easy. She blew at them, but they burnt on as before. She poured the dregs of a beer jug over them, but they blazed up the brighter. As a last resource, she caught up a jug of milk, and dashed it over the four lambent flames, and they died out at once. Uttering a loud cry, she rushed to the door of the apartment the beggar had entered, and locked it. The whole family was aroused, and the thief easily secured and hanged.

This tale is told in Northumberland.Pittsburgh Press.

by Susan Sheppard

 

 

The Granderie Witches, Nyx, Goddess of Night, Old Hob & Lunantishee Fairies

The Granderie Witches

Granderie was a power of sorcery that the Orkney Scottish witches were supposed to wield.  It was said to be a special command of the heathenrie or the pagan folk, deeply frowned upon by the Christian church and witch inquisitors. It was believed that granderie was brought to Scotland by Finnish witches. The Finns were so deeply entrenched in their magical and shamanic traditions that being called a “Finn” in Scotland was the same as being called a witch. It was basically the demonization of wise-women’s crafts. During the witch prosecutions, it was believed the further north a region was the closer to hell, therefore, the northern regions of Scotland was very suspect when it came to witches and the practice of witchcraft.

 

Nyx, Goddess of Night

Nyx is the Greek goddess of night. All of the mysteries belong to her. With her dark veil shimmering with stars, she also represents the underworld, which is a river that ebbs and flows beneath earthly consciousness—the consciousness of being awake. But there is another consciousness of those who sleep and that is what Nyx rules over. Nyx was born from Chaos and Eros, and later bred the darkness with the light. She favors mischief and duplicity, hiding thieves and fugitives in her dark cloak of night. Nyx is also tied to the muses who are said to sing to her from the dark. She often inspires both poetry and song, though such poetry and song tends to be melancholy.

Old Hob

Hob was once claimed to be the witches name for the Horned God. In truth, the name Hob is related to the French “Robert” and the English “Robin” and is associated with Robin Goodfellow (also called Puck) a woodland spirit later demonized by the Christian Church. Hob is an old English word related to the word for hearth. Interestingly, ‘hearth’ is derived from the word for ‘heart,’ a name which meant at the center of the home.  Hob, as the name for his elven self, is known to help with housework in the house and associated with Scottish brownies and the German Knecht Ruprecht, which was alternate name for Santa Claus, another kind of elf.

 

Lantern Man

"Lantern Man” was the East Anglia name for a type of “willow-o-the-wisp” but this ghost was considered extremely fierce and dangerous. They were believed to lure lonely travelers into marshes causing the travelers to become disoriented and drown. It was once suggested that one should not whistle after dark as this will entice the Lantern man to locate you and perhaps even kill you. It was also thought that if one encountered the Lantern Man in the evening or late at night as a protection, you should lie down as flat as possible on the ground, so he can pass over your body, not suspecting that you are there.

(Interestingly, warding off the Lantern Man is exactly the same as escaping the Bhuta ghost in India. It is claimed when encountering a Bhuta ghost one should lie down flat against the ground so the ghost can glide over without harming or possessing you.) 

Lantern ghosts have always been reported along railroads and tunnels, sometimes leading the lost through passageways or by swinging lanterns as a warning to train engineers of obstacles along the paths, therefore, preventing train wrecks and other accidents.

Lunantishee Fairies

Lunantishee are a host of fairies in Celtic lands that are said to guard blackthorn bushes, considered in the British Isles to be ancient fairy trees. In legend, the Lunantishee do not like the blackthorn to be cut on Beltane or before “Samhain” (Halloween). Should a person ignore this fairy law, he or she will be subjected to serious misfortune until some penance is paid, either by leaving bowls of sugar and milk at the back door, under tree or by planting another blackthorn bush.

What Is a Portent?

A “portent” is an omen of early or unexpected death, usually experienced in the form of an animal appearing suddenly or by some other natural event. Birds, for instance, that enter a home, such as flying down the chimney or through an open doorway were once thought to mean that there was to be a death in the family, or at least one associated with the household. An example of a portent is one recalled by a woman friend of the 19th century American poet Edgar Allan Poe.

 In late September of 1849, Poe was leaving for Baltimore when he paid a call to a lady friend whom had earlier proposed marriage to. After a pleasant visit, she followed the poet into the foyer and then walked him out on the front porch.

As Poe turned to leave, he paused for a moment and then stared back at his friend. An unusually bright shooting star dazzled the night sky over the poet’s shoulder.

The woman then realized she would never see Edgar Poe again. He later died in Baltimore after being found delirious in an alley a week or so later. He lingered for two days and expired at the age of thirty- nine. The cause of Poe’s death has never been entirely determined.

by Susan A Sheppard

 

 

  

Strange Beings From the Half-Lit World

 

Although we are all familiar with the creatures of the sun lit world, there are beings which have never stood in the full light, seemingly hovering between this dimension and another. Perhaps doorways slip open when the conditions are right and it easier for them to step through. Ancient people gave these creatures different names. Modern humans may call them something entirely different. We do know this, since humans became conscious we have been aware of these beings from a half-lit world. Here are just a few to ponder.

 

The Foreboding Far Dorocha

 

Far Dorocha, or the “Dark Man,” is an Irish ghost that rides a black horse throughout the countryside to kidnap the mortal human beings that the Fairy Queen desires. At the request of the Fairy Queen, Far Dorocha will capture a human for her. He never speaks directly. But his commands are understood in such a way that most people surrender to his will and mount the black horse behind him.  If the human being is released from Fairyland and gives out fairy secrets, Far Dorocha will pluck out that person’s eyes to take away their fairy sight or makes his or her arm or leg wither, as a penance for betraying the fairies.

Glastig, or Goat-Footed Women

 

In the Scottish Highlands, there are stories of goat-footed women who feeds upon the life blood of the men they tempt.  Glastigs are vampirical fairies that drink the blood of lonely farmers and shepherds left alone at twilight in the fields. They often appear at nightfall when beings are most able to slip through the dimensions. Glastigs are said to wear long, flowing, green gowns to cover up their goat parts so no human will be able to recognize them as anything other than a normal human being.

The Glastig is a seductress of sorts. She lures men to dance with her in the mist covered fields and woods. Through her dancing, as the man swoon from tiredness, the Glastig will pounce and feast on his blood. Even though the Glastig is generally considered to be a rather wicked fairy she is known to herd cattle for farmers and tend to old people or children when they are sick. 

Deathly Dullahan

The Dullhan is an especially unnerving Irish fairy more akin to a ghoul, with some relationship to the banshee. From the Gaelic word Gan Ceann, meaning “headless” the Dullhan is rather wicked and is one of the unseelie fairies. This scary fairy appears riding a black horse while carrying his rotting head under his arm. He uses the spine of a corpse as his whip and if he drives a wagon it will be made of funereal objects or parts of other dead bodies he has collected from the graveyard. The moldy flesh on the Duhllan’s head is like cheese. Corpse flies buzz about his body. His eyes bulge and he shows a hideous grin that is more like a slash in face which extends from ear to ear.  Whereever the Dullhan stops a person is said to die. When calling out the name of the doomed individual, the Dullhan then vanishes into nothingness.

Deer Women

A shape-shifter with the body of a deer and the face of a woman, Deer women appear in Native American mythology in North America and Mexico. The Deer woman can be a young maiden and sometimes an elderly woman. At times she is described as a beautiful human female, but with the hooves and large dark eyes of a deer. In some legends, the upper torso is human while the lower body is a white tailed deer. Deer women are sirens who lure men off their trails, sometimes hiding behind a shrub while calling the men to follow after them.

Once the Deer women attract the men to the area where they are  hiding, it is said they sometimes stomp men to death. Other legends claim that if you see a Deer woman, she comes with a warning. Usually, the warning is about a calamity or almost tragedy. During dances, Deer women will sometimes join the group  of people and only leave when the drums have ceases. As she runs away, the dancers may notice her white tail and hooves while she retreats from the crowd.

Since strange beings are usually feared, the Ojibwe use tobacco and chanting to banish her from areas. It is recommended if one encounters a Deer woman, you should stare down at her feet, which will sometimes break the spell and she will vanish.

In Scotland, there is another creature who is a type of vampire with the lower body of a goat. In India, there is another female creature who will seek out travelers to journey alongside them. Much to the traveler’s surprise, when they look down they will notice the women to have the hooves of a cow.

These part-bovine (cattle, goats) and part-cervine (deer) women are often associated with fertility and birthing. Deer women are said to sometimes help women in childbirth. However, Deer women are shy and not often seen.

Clootie the friendly Demon

 

Clootie is a Scottish name for the Devil or some other diabolical imp that is intent upon pestering human beings. Clootie simply means “cleft-footed” alluding to the Devil’s hoof.  Also called “Auld Hornie” it is likely Clootie is a remnant of the older god Pan or other pagan gods denigrated by the church as fallen angels or demons.  However, the Scottish believed Clootie was the Devil himself.

Interestingly, “clootie” is also the name of prayer rags tied to Hawthorn trees near holy wells in Ireland and Scotland. It is theorized the clootie rag is derived from the old Scottish word for cloth, however, in common folklore God and the Devil as actual beings that are never very far apart.  The cloven-footed god Pan was the one who tended flocks and sheep in early mythology. With his horns and pointed beard, the one who peacefully herded sheep, just like Christ, otherwise known as Clootie, or Pan in the Mediterranean world, came to be a symbol for the Christian Devil.

The “Clootie Croft” in Scotland is an untilled area of land that is left over as a gift to the Devil to occupy him so he won’t cause trouble for humans.

Changelings

 

A changeling child is a questionable fairy, one that is switched for a human child shortly after birth, typically by elves or goblins who wish to introduce new, human blood into their fairy race. After the human baby is stolen away, a changeling or a fairy which looks like a child is left in its place. Often the changeling turns into a type of monster within a few hours, sucking greedily at its mother’s breast. Afterwards, the changeling is capable of stretching so tall that within a few short days that its head reaches the rafters.

Martin Luther, as a man influenced by the superstitions of this time, believed in changelings, but thought them to be soulless children of Lucifer, sent to offended and disrupt the lives of pious Christians. Populations in Muslim countries also had a belief in a type of changeling children, but considered them as offspring of the jinn or genies, so feared them. In reality, changelings are not really fairy children, but they are old fairy souls, some howling and dangerous just like any force of nature can be.

According to superstition the only way to truly get rid of a changeling is to boil eggshells and hold the changeling baby over the steam. This is supposed to fill the fairy imposter with peals of laughter that he won’t be able to control. If the changeling laughs, his true nature will be revealed and the fairies will be forced to return and retrieve their changelings, leaving their original human child in its place.  The British Isles, Scandinavian countries and Germany are filled with such accounts of these strange, scary fairies that pose as human babies.

Etheric Revenants

Etheric Revenant is a term made popular in John Greer’s book “Monsters,” referring to creatures of darkness that exist simultaneously in the physical world as in the ethereal realm. They are part-spirit, part-physical beings that are able to slip through dimensions.  This would explain vampires, as well as other tales of ghouls, and creatures like banshees. According to Greer, Etheric Revenants are, at times, completely ethereal, but manage to take shape in some physical way, able to feed upon the living for vitality or energy.

In one West Virginia banshee tale, a small girl in the early part of the 20th century reported that when the banshee visited her grandmother’s farmhouse on a white horse during the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic she stood so close to the banshee’s horse that she could feel the animal’s hot breath on her face. When the banshee made the proclamation that one member of the family would die that same night, the banshee wailed and she and her horse instantly vanished.

With appearances of ghosts, there is sometimes a material component such as the overwhelming smell of roses in the morgue of the abandoned Waverly Hills Tuberculosis Sanitarium in Louisville, Kentucky. Some “etheric” beings can even touch or scratch. An Etheric Revenant may explain this type of encounter.
 

In some Celtic lore, the banshee is associated with vampires and lamias. She is also tied to clans, her fairy powers passed down through the blood and “blood ties.” The West Virginia Mothman, clearly a physical entity when he appeared, might also be partly explained by Greer’s theory of Etheric Revenant.
 

Herne the Hunter

 

 Herne the Hunter is a mythic English character that is alternately a ghost and a pagan god. Herne is often associated with Cernunnos, an early Celtic divinity often depicted with the horns of a stag, and the “Green Man” just one other aspect of this nature figure. In folklore, Herne the Hunter, much like Robin Hood, was believed to have been an actual person. He served the king (sometimes written as Richard II or Henry VII) as a royal huntsman but died under unhappy circumstances.  Before dying, Herne was said to have saved the king from an attacking stag.

After killing the stag Herne took the antlers and placed them on his head. Herne recovered for a short while and appeared to be infused by the spirit of the slain stag. 

Afterwards, Herne fell out of favor with the king and in his dejection, was said to have hung himself from an oak tree in Windsor Great Park near Windsor Castle. Later Herne the Hunter became a type of a wandering spirit. His ghost is seen there at Windsor Park wearing the horns of the great stag. Sightings of Herne the Hunter have been reported even into current times. It takes no theoretical leap to realize Herne the Hunter serves as a modern aspect of the much earlier Celtic/Druid mythologies of divinities borne out of much more ancient times.   

Men in Black

Sinister beings, in human form, who typically appear as two or three men dressed entirely in black. They often show up to intimidate witnesses who have had encounters with UFOs or aliens. Often the MIBs (Men in Black) will issue subtle threats to anyone who talks in public about the “saucers” or other alien encounters.

            Over the years, some have theorized the Men in Black work for the U.S. government, hence, the entirely inaccurate Hollywood movies “Men in Black. “ Others who have actually encountered the M1Bs describe them as something entirely different, something alien, if you will. Most Men in Black speak with a strange robotic pitch to their voices and what they express, aside from the vague threats about “saucers,” is typically nonsense. Witnesses have described the MIBs as at first seeming incredibly stupid, even about the simplest of matters.

            During the famous 1966 Mothman sightings in West Virginia, two MIBs were seen in a local restaurant in Point Pleasant attempting to drink the plastic cups of Jello that came with their meals. The strange men acted entirely confused over what to do with the silverware but were fascinated by ballpoint pens. At another time, one MIB was witnessed “chirping” and singing to the birds in the trees overhead.

            Mysteriously, some of the “nonsense” uttered by the Men in Black often turns out to be prophetic. For instance, they may speak off-handedly of certain surgeries, specific operations or hospitals. Later, the person threatened by the MIBs may have the very same surgeries, quite unexpected, months later. Witnesses describe meeting the MIBs in completely unexpected ways, such as encountering one in an elevator, or passing another in a car, and generally being stalked by them.

            Typically dressed entirely in black, or dark tones, MIBs are deeply tanned, or the opposite, extremely pale. They wear unusual hairstyles with parts of their

heads shaved in odd places. They will have almond-shaped dark eyes or watery blue ones. Interestingly, their first appearances coincided with the exodus of the Dalai Lama from Tibet in 1948. The Tibetans are said to have their own name for the Men in Black.             Albert Bender, a UFO researcher and author, first encountered the Men in Black in 1953. He later stopped writing about the MIBs warning others to do the same. Apparently, Bender suffered excruciating headaches as well as further threats in the form of phone calls from his encounters with the MIBs.

            West Virginia UFO contactee Woodrow Derenberger of Mineral Wells believed the Men in Black who visited his farm were “Mafia types” and was frightened of them.     Derenberger had earlier reported being stopped by a tall, dark-haired man named “Indrid Cold” (many recognize as a typical “Man in Black”) who stepped out of a spaceship near the intersection of I-77 and route 47 in West Virginia to interview him for about fifteen minutes in early November of 1966.

 Author John Keel received reports of MIBs being seen with “Gypsies” or dark- skinned people around Manhattan. If this sounds like pure science fiction or a Lovecraftian horror tale, characters similar to the Men in Black have been reported and written about throughout history.
In the Middle Ages MIBs were thought to be demons or even the Devil, himself. Often met at the Crossroads in the Middle Ages, as Woodrow Derenberger met Indrid Cold at the Crossroads of Route 47 and I-77 in Novemer of 1966 this devil in black will bargain for your very soul. Woodrow Derenberger surely found this out for himself. Strangely enough, the strange, alienated men have never disappeared from folklore. MIB encounters occur to this very day throughout different parts of the world.

--by Susan A Sheppard

 

 

The True History of Halloween

Why is Halloween so celebrated and yet so controversial? Why do some devoutly religious people have a problem with one of the most beloved holidays in the west?

    Is October 31^st, (as popular culture tells us) a night when witches fly on broomsticks and ghosts leave their graves? Or is it time for witches sabbats where pagans meet in secret and practice strange rites in the dark? Is Halloween an innocent custom where children dress up in scary costumes and go from house to house begging for candy treats?  Or is it (according to Hollywood movies) a night when vampires, zombies and demons are allowed to lurk about? Perhaps Halloween is a night when the veil between the living and the dead is most thin and communication with ghosts is possible. One thing we do know, Halloween is all about the mystery, one day set apart from the other 364 days of the years when things are not as they seem.

    If we wish to understand the meaning of Halloween it’s important to consider older name of “All Hallows Eve,” which means “the night before the holy day.” This is what it was called in Ireland, Scotland and England for close to 1,000 years. On the Christian calendar Halloween is the night before “All Saints Day” which is on November 1^st followed by “All Souls Day” on November 2^nd.     Therefore, if taken religiously, it is a Christian holiday (primarily Irish Catholic) brought to the shores of America by Irish immigrants escaping the potato famine in Ireland in the early 1800s.  It was when the Irish also brought with them the carving of Jack O’ Lanterns— or as it was in Ireland as turnip lanterns.

   However, like Christmas, Halloween has ancient roots in European paganism. All Hallows Eve falls upon the same general date as an earlier Celtic holiday called Samhain (pronounced sow-en) which was primarily a harvest festival and some say the end of summer while other sources report it is the beginning of winter.  For the Celts, Samhain was the name they gave to the month of November.

   There is little written about the pagan festival of Samhain in ancient texts but we do know it harkened the end of the year for pagans and November 1^st was their New Year. Although Halloween is thought to be a mischief-inspired festival of devils and evil spirits it was never that in the past, especially not among the pagan Celts. It had more to do with having a good harvest and making preparations for the threat of winter. As a harvest festival, Samhain promised a resurrection of growth with hopes for the renewal of plant life and vegetation in the following spring. After all, it was the end of harvest and without a good crop in summer, starvation during winter was possible.

   In Ireland and Scotland, bonfires were lit among the countryside to chase away the darkness, in hopes that the fires would somehow remind the sun to come back again, to bring back a time when harvest did not die, but brimmed with new life and

growth on Beltane, or May 1— which is May Day.Despite vilification by modern religious conservatives, no one was ever sacrificed during Samhain, devils had no part in this festival and it was not exclusive to the Druids. In fact, Samhain was probably observed before the Druids came to the British Isles. The Celts did not have a Devil and had no god of death that demanded sacrifice that we know of. They did believe in gods, goddesses, giants, fairies, elves, goblins and ghosts — but none were primarily evil, and none were purely without fault.

    In fact, they were just like human beings, or ordinary folk you might meet in the countryside. However, during All Hallows Eve, it was believed the dead were allowed to come back and partake of food and nourishment at Dumb Suppers, where a special place was set for anyone in the family who had died the previous year. But much of the Dumb Supper has elements of Christianity in it and there is no proof the Dumb Supper pre-dates anything Christian in the British Isles.

   But the Celts did associate the dead with Fairyland and Halloween was an important date for the fairies who were thought to visit crossroads (or spook roads) on Halloween night.   The Celts looked at fairies very differently than we do now. They feared fairies because not only could the fairies bring you good luck they could bring you bad luck.  It was thought the dead lived in Fairyland for a short time before entering into heaven. (This is another example of the blend of Christian and Pagan beliefs.) The Pagan Celts believed ghosts lived among the fairies especially the ghosts of those who did not wish to leave earth. Instead, spirits of the dead lived in a place parallel with the earth. It was the fairies that crossed over souls of those who had just died into Summerland, or the Celtic afterlife.

   The Celts also thought on the night of October 31st the world between the living and the dead became blurred and it was possible to communicate with ancestors who had passed on. Since they feared the dead, they believed some of these ghosts could damage crops and so made offerings to them. But there is no evidence that witches who practiced magic were a part of Samhain since at that time, everyone in northern Europe was pagan.

   If we look at Halloween more closely it is apparent that American Halloween is mostly a Christian holiday but deeply rooted in European Paganism just like the other holidays of Christmas and Easter which are celebrated throughout Christendom. The first official commemoration of Halloween was when a mass was performed around November 1^st by Pope Gregory IV in 835 A.D. as “All Saints Day.” The night before, October 31^st became the “Eve of All Saints Day.”  It was on this night souls in purgatory were prayed over, as well.

   The belief in ghosts wandering the night on Halloween seems to have roots in Catholicism but may have older pagan origins.  Sources are thin about Samhain being a festival of ghosts before Catholicism came to Ireland and All Hallows Eve was born. It is speculated that pagan Celts may have worn masks to scare evil spirits away around the time of Samhain but, again, there are simply no tangible sources to support this idea.

Why do we trick or treat on Halloween?

The Irish Catholic belief was that on the night before All Saints Day saints could return and visit with the living. This evolved in to the idea that dead relatives might also come back on that night as well. Dumb Suppers were put on and an empty dinner place was set at the table waiting for the dead to return. Over time, this included all manner of ghosts wandering about the night. And no one celebrated Halloween as fervently as the descendents of the early Celts, the populations of Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Souls being prayed over on All Hallows Eve, or Halloween, we can also see the basis of trick or treat and also a connection to Christianity.The trick or treat tradition is far older than the United States and was written about during the time of King James when the practice was called “guising” and “a soulin’.”

   Although our modern tradition of trick or treat was not officially recorded until the early 1900s  in the United States, there are elements that show it is much older based on the English, Irish and Scottish guising  or “mummer’s” pageants where people wore masks that were put on at Christmastime and also Hallowmas (holy mass) or Halloween. Another reminder that Halloween time was associated with the sacred and the holy.

Plays were held — many involving a ghost in “a winding sheet” (death shroud) –and afterwards the guisers or mummers would ask for soul cakes, coins or their supper as payment for the holiday entertainment. Guising, basically like a trick or treat, was also known “a soulin’” and was mentioned in several of Shakespeare’s plays.    Mummers, in fact, would put on their own plays, singing songs from house to house. Then, the line was not a definite one between older Pagan customs and newer Christian ones. The begging part of trick of treat has Christian origins as well, since impoverished people would beg from house to house the night before All Saints Day, asking for bread, sweets or coins so they might pray for the dead in the family in order to help them enter into heaven. These were adults and impoverished persons who did the begging. Many dressed in masks and costumes. Sometimes children would join the guisers to beg and pray, as well.

At the time, it was believed anyone’s prayers could help souls in purgatory even prayers said by the poor.  The population was happy to reward anyone who would pray over dead relatives. In fact, trick or treat and Christmas caroling have the same origins. Guising was not only practiced at Halloween it also was a custom at Christmas time.    The “tricking” part of Halloween seems to pretty much be an American introduction to the holiday in the 20th Century. In fact, pranks on Halloween were more common than begging for treats in the first part of the 20th century.  However, trick or treat is a custom that is around 500 years old.  It is interesting to note that “guising” is related to the word disguise (or the wearing of costumes) and “a soulin’” is a reminder that the practice was done to help souls of the deceased move out of purgatory into heaven.  Guising and a soulin’ were also carried out on Christmas Eve, Christmas night, New Years Eve and New Year’s Day.

How did Halloween become associated with devils and evil spirits?

   The idea of devils at Halloween came mostly with the advent of Protestantism in Europe after the split from the Catholic Church. Complaints by Protestant leaders were that too many pagan customs and practices had infiltrated the Catholic Church with its religious statues, pagan-inspired holidays and the burning of incense which broke away from the true asceticism and self denial of Christianity. In other words, it was alleged Catholics allowed paganism (which was considered devilish) into their churches. This Protestant belief wasn’t entirely without basis.  There are clear remnants of Paganism in Roman Catholicism. Early church officials saw the only way to convert the pagan tribes of Europe to Christianity by the early Christian church was to allow them to retain their deeply-ingrained pagan customs and festivals. Later, these pagan festivals were given Christian names and some of the earlier gods and goddesses were transformed into Catholic saints. 

So if we look at Protestantism that reached the shores of America early on, none had any tradition of Halloween merriment. The early puritans did not acknowledge Halloween nor did they celebrate Christmas. These were considered pagan holidays born of revelry, unrestraint and sinfulness. To the Puritans, life on earth was suffering and any rewards here were meager and spare. Heaven is what was hoped for and no one should celebrate life on earth which was looked upon as a crucible.

    Yet there was not a wide gulf between Protestantism, Paganism and Catholicism in this idea since Pagans and Christians also saw life as suffering to a degree. The latter two faiths believed persons might have some element of control if they prayed in the right way or if they practiced the correct form of magic or ritual. They also believed the spirit world was not only real but that spirits remained interactive with the living, should be given respect and not demonized.

Why did ghosts appearing at Halloween become associated with evil?
   When Protestantism took hold in Europe there was no longer the concept of a purgatory in their church— just of heaven and hell—and no place in between. This erased the explanation of ghosts or spirits being neutral, or at least not evil as souls who left purgatory for just a short while. The good souls got to go to heaven and the wicked souls went to hell. It was surmised that no good soul would ever want to leave heaven so it a ghost appeared it had to come from the bad place, which is hell and only devils leave hell, so it was thought.
In looking at these old beliefs what is there for us to celebrate in Halloween today?

   There is much to celebrate.  Good ideas die hard, if they die at all and Halloween is one good idea that is not about to leave us anytime soon. October 31^st is now one of the most popular holidays in the U.S. second only to Christmas and is celebrated by all walks of life, all ages and races, religious and secular. It is a night when small trick or treaters scurry from house to house gathering candy and bells of Catholic churches ring call parishioners to the eve before the Feast of All Saints in which a mass is held for the dead.

    Halloween is a time when the impossible becomes possible and we can become anything that pleases us our imaginations or haunts our dreams. Men become women and women become men, small boys can race between Halloween mists donning the cape and powers of a Dracula, little girls can cast the glamour-spells of beautiful fairy queens. We are permitted to dress up in the disguises of what scares us and in doing so we gain mastery over our fears. Some can play jokes and prank friends either in costumes or cloaked in night.

   The dark magic of October 31^st endures where we, like black cats, are able to walk along the neighborhood picket fence between the living and the dead. It is a balancing act to be sure because Halloween is not a time of certainty. Instead it is a night where unseen things in shadows are said to stir and come to life.

No matter what religion we belong to, All Hallows Eve suggests the world holds mystery in it. And even if not quite believed in by all who participate in it, this mystery can at least be explored through séances, ghost stories, dumb suppers, scary movies, costume parties and fortunetelling games on October 31^st. By this we are permitted to join a parallel world of goblins and ghosts, fairies and vampires, sorcerers and witches. Maybe the real reason is this:
We each know there are things which may not be able to be glimpsed under normal conditions. The perfect time for such unseen things to appear is when the veil between worlds thins...Traditionally, and in most countries, this is the night we call Halloween.
  -- Susan A. Sheppard