The Thin Veil Between Two Worlds

I was prompted by a friend's post on facebook about things that go bump in the night, toys that just start playing music, ghost stories, witches and vampires. Why would I do a post on such things on my blog here you ask? Well the eleven years I was in Cambodia I saw my real, fair share of paranormal activity. I heard ghost stories but witnessing was what really convinced me. There is a time when the other world does really try to contact us... Now for those of you who don't believe, fine. That's what works for you. BUT don't judge too harshly until you have lived in a country like Cambodia and seen what goes on. Now that I live back here in the USA you would think. There aren't ghost here... Right? Well it depends on who you are and what you believe. The state of Maine has it's fair share of ghost stories and hauntings. Wiscasset Maine I think is probably one of the most haunted towns in Maine with one street in particular that has four houses that are documented and that doesn't even include the other houses that have documented cases of hauntings . It's not like I go out looking for ghost stories, though I stayed at a haunted B&B last year on Halloween. I just enjoy keeping that avenue open to learn and to possibly witness hauntings, if you may. The Salem witch trials... I was once asked by a pastor when I told him I suffered from migraines. "Do you have anyone who was a witch in your family?" I was trying to figure what he was getting at. Later I learned he thought in his twisted thinking that because I had someone who was involved in the Salem Witch trials possibly brought some of the sin upon me. One of the lead families in the trials was the Putnam family. You had Young 12 year old Ann Putnam Jr who was daughter to Thomas and Ann Sr. They were key figures in the trial pointing fingers. An uncle of the young Ann was Joseph Putnam a defender. he being a defender of the ones accused could have endangered his life but he did what he thought what was right to the risk of himself being accused.I am related to him. My great great Grandmother was Ann Putnam. Her Granddaughter was Mary Anna Putnam Bronson who married George Reisner the great archaeologist. His Giza project is still going today at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and Cario. He was my great uncle. I started learning about my very colorful family early in the 1980s when I started getting into genealogy. It seems genealogy and history go hand in hand and finding some of the more colorful history of our wonderful country. Do I think there were witches flying around on brooms in Salem? No ,I think that whole trial was a sad, very sad part of our history that was based on fear. Fear is a very powerful thing. Fear can snowball and if not caught can lead to deaths of the innocent. At the time of the Salem Witch Trials all of Massachusetts was under a theocracy. That means the church ran everything. You couldn't do anything that wasn't under the watchful eye of the church and the church fathers. They had watchers walking past homes peeping and keeping an eye. You had girs (probably mean girls) who may have decided they were pissed at so and so. Who really knows. I do know from reading letters of judges later, after the trail. They regret ever letting things get out of hand. People started pointing fingers and then it got out of hand. Hysteria is a very powerful weapon. Are there witches , were there witches? Yes. I firmly believe but those trials no and I don't think I suffer migraines because of witchcraft in my family. Ghost , we have a ghost at my house. I have not seen her. I have seen her do things. How do I know the ghost is a she? Well I'm pretty sure it's the former owner who died almost a year after I bought my house. That's when she started showing up. It's been like a presence that I have felt. A feeling that someone is near. Also I have been in my basement and all of a sudden, not once but many times my dryer comes flying open and then slams shut. I asked my husband and also people at Mysterious Destinations what the likely hood of that just happening, many times and they said "Nope" Just a week ago things started flying off my bookshelf. I yelled 'Quit it" and she stopped it. That was by far the most mischievous she has ever been. Once my oldest son Brendan brought Pat home to get some things so to sleep over his home he was renting a couple years ago. It was in the winter around midnight ,"The Witching hour".Pat came in,ran up to his room and got his clothes and went back out to the car. Brendan said to Pat. "What did Mom say?" Pat said "Nothing , why?" Brendan, "Cause she was standing looking out the window..." Pat "No she wasn't... she's sleeping" Brendan said "then who was the woman standing in the window if it wasn't Mom... " Last summer I had my two daughters and one of their friends staying so we had a full house. My daughter MaryKate's friend said more then once she felt someone watching her, heard noises when no one was in the house but her and also felt 'her' down in the basement. Do I fear Jan? No. I don't know why she started knocking my books down, maybe she was bored who knows. But I don't fear her. She was glad when i bought the house, even gave me a few things that meant a lot to her. maybe she will never so it again. I kinda hope not. I really like having a ghost. What does all this have to do with the Thin Veil between two worlds? This post was a little bit history which I love and a bit about what we can't explain or explain away. This time of year the veil seems to grow thin, allowing communication between the two worlds or for more hauntings or more activity. Also this time of year makes me think of scary movies or movies about the occult. One that has a favorite actress is "Practical Magic" I'm not so much into real scary movies any more but movies like the one mentioned I enjoy. Some of my favorite paranormal books or series: Anything by JR Ward. If you like vampires, well she is not your daughter's vampire stories. Once read you will be hooked. The Twilight series. Harry Potter. Jenny Crusie's "Maybe This Time" . It's a great ghost and love story. A new favorite author of mine Deborah Harkness. Her first book , 'A Discovery of Witches" and now "Shadow of Night". Both have everything you might want, a good old love story between two souls who aren't suppose to be together, witches, vampires, magic and history. So I will leave you with those thoughts as I listen to Stevie Nicks sing 'Crystal' and smell my soup cook on this cool fall afternoon...