Jessica Penot's Blog, page 9

Animals in the Afterlife: Your Pets Talk From the Other Side

Today I welcome guest blogger and medium,  Deborah Kauflin, Ph.D.  Deborah is a psychic medium who is a retired, famous criminal profiler. Deborah interviewed twenty five serial killers and wrote three books about profiling killers. She trained thousands of FBI agents and homicide detectives and worked on hundreds of murder cases for police. She appeared on the Discovery Channel, Investigation Discovery, Fox News, ABC, CNN and the Seoul Broadcasting Network. She also writes a blog for Psychology Today.  I am very excited to have Deborah here! 


Animals in the Afterlife: Your Pets Talk From the Other Side
If you fear that you will never see your beloved pet again, then let me assure you that your pet is still with you. Animals go to the other side, and they love nothing more than seeing you. Their spirits are right in front of you, but too many times you just can’t see them. Let your broken heart heal knowing that they are still with you.

Have you felt your dear car curl up on you lap after he passed? Maybe you have heard your dog’s bark or your bird chirp. The truth is that they are still here looking after you. They loved you so much in life, so why would you ever believe that they would leave your side?

Animals can be some of the most pure, loving spirits. They bring us love and companionship when others have left us. They are always so happy to see us and want nothing more than our love in return. If you have loved a dear pet in your life and you miss that pet, then realize that their love is with you. They look out for you from the other side.

What you might notice is that when you are going through a particularly bad time, you may feel your old pet rubbing against your leg or walking across your keyboard! One woman reported going through a terrible time when her husband died. She had lost her dear Bessie, her cat. As she grieved for her husband and her furry friend, she experienced something miraculous. One day her grief was too much for her, and she was crying as she sat at her computer. With her hands shaking on the keyboard, she actually felt Bessie walk across her fingers as she typed. This is what her cat always did in life! This happened several times and this act by her beloved Bessie was enough to help the woman stop crying. That is how strong the connection is between loved pet and human.

As you miss your pet, you might even start seeing it. Sometimes if you are particularly sensitive, you may see your animal in your home. If you do, then know it is your pet coming to say hello. They want you to see them so that you won’t hurt so much. They love you.

Other times pets come back to play with their old friends. In one case, two dogs spent their entire lives together. One died, and the other went into a terrible depression. The family could not get her to eat or do anything. She was dying of grief. Then all of a sudden, she got up and ran around playing as if she was with her old dog friend. She ran around in circles, crouching and jumping, just like she always did with her partner. She’d bark at what seemed like nothing. It was then that the family began experiencing activity of their own. Their oldest son saw the dog that had passed away. Others heard his bark. The family then knew their dear dog was still with them and doing everything he could to help his old friend heal from his passing.
It shouldn’t surprise you that your pets are still with you. Love never dies, especially love for animals. And your pets know how you feel about them. They know more than people give them credit for. Have you ever noticed that your pet tries to comfort you when you feel down? They do the same thing from the other side. Their connection with you will not be cut.

If your pet has crossed over, and you feel sad, then take a deep breath and call your pet to you in your mind. I guarantee that your pet will come. You may not be able to see it, but your pet will be at your side or in your lap. They love you that much. Don’t be surprised if when you call them that you begin to see unusual things go on in your home. That will be your pet letting you know that he is there.

Furthermore, in every psychic reading I have done where an animal has come through, the dear pet has ALWAYS said thank you to his human pal for taking care of him. They know what you do for them and are grateful. They will repay your love forever.

Haint Blue: The Ghostly Blue

 

If you drive through the South, you'll notice old houses painted in a peculiar shade of blue.  The entire house is never blue.  It is always the details that are blue.  The shudders, the door, the top of the porch may all be this lovely, eerie shade.  The blue is deeper than a sky blue and more subtle than an eggshell blue.  It is completely unique and utterly Southern.

This blue is called "Haint Blue".  A Haint in Southern parlance is another word for a ghost or a specter.  It is the restless spirit of one that has been left behind in the after life.   The blue that is so beautiful and so engaging is not just a color, it is a form of magic. 

Although Haint Blue can be seen on every kind of Southern house from sprawling mansions and old plantation homes to decaying shacks, the history of Haint Blue goes back to the Gullah or Geechee people.  These were the decendants of African slaves that lived in South Carolina and Georgia.   Their ancestors were brought to the Americas from Angola which is where the word Gullah is thought to have come from.   These peoples clung to the traditions of their ancestors and stories of ghosts and haints were common to their ancestors.   Haints were not kind ghosts in their traditions.  They were tragic, angry ghosts that were set on causing pain and heartache for the living.   As is common in many spirit traditions, however, Haints were unable to cross over water.  Therefore the best way to protect yourself from a Haint was to surround yourself in water.   The descendants of these African people found the easiest way to protect themselves was to fool Haints into thinking their homes were surrounded by water.  They painted their doors and shudders and porches in a watery blue to trick Haints.  This Gullah practice spread throughout the South as a method for keeping spirits and Haints at bay.   So now you can see the remnant of this old African tradition in homes throughout the South.

My neighbor recently painted her ceiling of her porch and patio Haint Blue.  She hasn't told me if it has driven off any dark spirits yet, but I remain hopeful that this old tradition will hold its power as I am planning on painting my porch ceiling Haint Blue this summer. 

The Lonely Lakeforest Ghost

Lakeforest is a quiet neighborhood.  It is hidden away in one of those areas that used to be farmland and swamp.  It is off the beaten path.   The houses there vary is size and type.  The houses around the lake are million dollar mansions.  They are large and presumptuous.   They are the houses of people who want the world to know their wealth.   In other areas of the neighborhood, the houses are more middle class.  They are four bedroom, three bathroom American homes that are perfect for the average family.  The neighborhood is new and clean and typical and seems like the least likely place for a haunting.  The neighborhood is so young, it is hard to imagine any accumulation of sorrow that could create a ghost.

However,  tragedy and ghosts do lurk in the quiet history of this ordinary neighborhood.   The pool at Lakeforest is a crowded party during the long Alabama summers.  During the day, children fill the water.  The sounds of splashing and laughter drift up from the pool and linger in the air around it.  During the sticky, hot evenings and weekends the adults come out.  They sneak in beer and alcohol that is strictly forbidden by the pool rules.  The adults don't care.  It is all in good fun.   It was one such group of adults that begins this tale of ghostly woe.

One Saturday night, a group of  friends gathered around the pool, drinking and laughing and trying beat the heat. The night progressed and they decided to go back to the house.  They all loaded up in one truck.  People sat in the bed of the truck.  They knew they were drunk but it was such a short drive they thought they couldn't get into any trouble driving.  On the way home, the driver hit a bump.  In his tipsy state, he didn't realize what was coming.   When he hit the bump, one of the men in the back was thrown from the bed of the truck onto the driveway of a house he was passing.  The man died in that driveway while he was waiting for an ambulance.

The homeowners will never forget that night.  Finding a dying man in your driveway isn't something you forget.   They watched the man draw his last breaths and watched him be driven away.   It isn't just the memory that haunts them.  It is also the ghost of the man.   He lingers in the shadows of their home.  He makes odd noises and sometimes they can even catch a glimpse of him out of the corner of their eyes.   They aren't sure what he is waiting for.   Maybe he just doesn't know where else to go. 

Ghost Photographs from the Pope Mansion

The plaque in front of the Leroy Pope Mansion reads:  During the original Madison County Land Sales of 1809, LeRoy Pope of Petersburg, GA, secured among other purchases a majority of Section 36, Township 3, Range 1 West, the site of the future town of Twickenham, as Huntsville was originally known. Pope created Poplar Grove Plantation on this site and erected his home in 1814 in time to entertain Gen. Andrew Jackson on his return from the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. The residence was among the earliest brick structures in Alabama. Inherited by his son, William H. Pope, the mansion was sold in 1848 to Dr. Charles Hays Patton, who commissioned George Steele to add the handsome Classical Revival portico. Nearby during the Civil War, Federal forces built an earthen breastwork to defend the eastern approaches to the city.

But there is more to the story of the Pope Mansion than can bread on plaques.  It is said that Leroy Pope Mansion is haunted by the ghosts of two slaves who still roam the property. These two ghosts like to bother audience members of touring groups, and one was even mistaken for a costumed character once.  Steve Gentry caught some wonderful photographs of ghosts at a recent ghost walk.   They are posted bellow. 

Huntsville Ghost Walk meets at Harrison Brothers Hardware Store. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under and are available at the hardware store all month. It’s good to get there at least 30 minutes early since the walks start promptly at 6 p.m. Cost is $12 for adults and $10 for children 10 and under. Visit the website or call (256) 509-3940.

A Passing Phantom

[image error] A fellow ghost enthusiast I know shared this little spooky tale with me.  He is a nurse who has spent many years working in nursing homes.  He has seen death and knows his face better than most.   Having a patient in a nursing home die is a common occurrence, but it isn't common for that patient to linger after they have died.   My friend witnessed one such occurrence late one night at a nursing home.

One of my friend's favorite patients had passed away that day and he walked into her room to say goodbye.  The room had been cleared out and little remained of the woman he had cared for, however when he entered the room a resonant thudding filled the room.  My friend looked around the room and checked the bathroom.  The thudding appeared to be coming from an empty, plastic box.  He left the room and brought others in the verify what he was hearing and help him discern the origin of the noise.

The noise was irregular.  It came and went but it never left the room or the box.  Everyone who entered the room that night heard it.  The security guard had to leave the room he was so put off by the noise.  The next day the noise was gone and no one could figure out where it had come from.   My friend believes it was the ghost of the woman who had just died coming to say goodbye.  She didn't want to leave without one final farewell. 

A Dark Figure

A coworker told me this story.  He has never been quite sure what to make of it, but it still bothers him.  A long time ago, he had a home in the rural portions of South Alabama.  The house was one of those old houses that groans complaintively at night as if it is protesting its age.   The sounds of old pipes and old wood fill the house and make it easy to ignore small noises and sounds that might be out of place in another house.

However, one night he saw something he couldn't ignore.  It was late at night and my coworker was in bed. His children and wife were out of town so the house was quiet.  Something woke him from his sleep and he opened his eyes to see a dark figure standing in the corner staring at him.  At first, he assumed the figure was of natural origins.  Being a proper Southerner, he reached for his gun to drive the intruder from his home.  Upon careful inspection, he knew the figure wasn't anything that could be driven away by a gun.  He blinked and pinched himself trying to make sure he wasn't trapped in some bad dream.  The figure remained.  Finally, the figure left.  He never told his family about the event.  He didn't want to scare them, but he'll never forget the shadowy figure that lived in the old house, deep in South Alabama. 

The Owl Spirit

Owls have been a reaccuring symbol in my life. In folklore and mythology, owls are seen as creatures that can travel between worlds.  In Egyptian, Celtic and Hindu cultures owls are the guardians of the spirits of the dead and they guide spirits from one world to the next.  They are symbols of wisdom, intuition, and the ability to see the beyond.

A few weeks ago, I had another amazing encounter with an owl.  An owl fell onto my car from a tree branch.  I didn't know what had hit my car at first, but I turned around to find out.  I found the owl looking almost dead in the tall grass beside the road.  I wrapped the owl in my sweater and drove it to my vet.  On the way there, the owl awoke and sat up.  It didn't open its eyes.  It just sat quietly, wrapped in my sweater.   I carried the bird in and it fell down and seemed dead again.  Finally, it got up and opened its eyes.   Fortunately, Wheeler Wildlife refuge has a raptor recovery program and my vet was able to contact them.  The bird was taken to the Wildlife refuge for rehabilitation, but I was left slightly stunned by the beauty and the power of the bird I had actually held in my arms.  It was a barred owl and it was beautiful.  I have to wonder why owls keep coming into my life sometimes, but I am always grateful.

Here is another post I wrote about owls: 

Owls are important symbolically in many cultures. In ancient Greece and Rome, they were linked to Athena and considered symbols of knowledge and wisdom.  In Arthurian legend,  Merlin is often depicted with an owl on his shoulder and again, the owl is linked to wisdom.  In Japan,  owl statues are said to ward off plague and illness.  In some Native American cultures owls are linked to knowledge and magic.  I knew all these things when I chose owls as the decorative theme for my new baby's nursery.   I didn't know the darker side of owls.  In many cultures, especially the Apache culture, owls portend death and are associated with the dead.  The Apaches are not alone.  Many other cultures see owls as linked death.    Of course, I choose to ignore all the cultures that see owls as ill omens in the same way I have ignored the ill omens associated with black dogs and cats.  Some of my favorite pets have been black dogs and cats and they've only brought good luck to me.

Therefore, as I sat in my owl themed nursery late at night just before my son was born,   I saw owls only as good omens.  They have become a symbol of my baby boy.   They are wise and beautiful creatures of the night.

My neighborhood and my house have no trees.   So birds of any sort are a rare commodity in my neighborhood.  The lake brings geese and goose poop, but owls are never seen in my neck of the woods.   However,  the night before my baby was born,   as I sat in the nursery, unable to sleep and very pregnant, the call of three owls filled the night air.  I sat up and listened to them hoot back and forth to each other with their distinct calls for over an hour before I drifted off to sleep.  The next day I held my baby in my arms, making owls forever a good omen for me.  I'm not sure if there was any real significance to the presence of the owls, but to me there was something mystical to their presence that night.  They were omens of life to come.

Chateau Larcher

This week I found out my new book, The Monster Hunter's Manual, is going to be released in June.  The book is a middle grade novel set in a haunted castle in the Loire Valley in France.   In order to celebrate my new release date, I'm reposting the blog I wrote about Chateau Larcher.  This castle will always be one of my favorite places and a source of inspiration for me.  

I love to travel and I love to rent houses when I travel.  I avoid hotels when possible and look for rare and interesting places to stay.  When I went to France, I found an old medieval castle that had been broken up into 4 town houses. I was able to rent one portion of this castle.   The castle, Chateau Larcher, was a bit of a mystery and still is.   I travelled during the off season and the small village's tourist information center had been closed, so I was never able to learn much about the history of the castle.  I read the plaque by the Cathedral which dated the Cathedral built into the church at around 980 and the castle itself wasn't finished until 1070.   Outside of this,  I found nothing to denote the castle's origins.  It was located in the Poiters region of France just South of the Loire valley and would have been in Aquitane during it's highest uses.  The location of the castle must have been a sacred place at one time because the area is also known for it's dolmen.  Dolmen are large, neolithic stones arrangements that are usually placed over tombs.  The dolmen in Chateau Larcher are placed over a vast necropolis of more than 100 graves.  They are usually places in a sacred or important location.

Staying in the castle was wonderful.  I loved it and I snuck away every evening to walk in the dark.   One time I enlisted help to break into a roped off section of the castle and sneak around.   The castle was mostly ruins and in the night as I wandered alone,  I found myself chilled.  There is nothing tangible I can use to prove that this castle was haunted.  There was only a profound feeling that I was not alone.  As I have little else to offer,  I have posted pictures of the castle.

Ghost Girl Apparition- Interesting Ghost Caught on Video

Faith Serafin, the director of  Alabama Paranormal Research Team, posted this awesome video on her facebook page.  Thanks to Faith for sharing this interesting ghost footage!

For Sale: Slightly Haunted Victorian Mansion.

My aunt sent me this creepy Zillow listing because she knew that this would be my dream house.  I wish I was house hunting in Dumore, Pennsylvania because I would definitely put in an offer on this Victorian beauty that Zillow describes as "slightly haunted."  The listing describes this house as: 

"Built in 1901, this Victorian home in the Hollywood section of Dunmore features 1850 sf of living space with an additional 1350 sf of partially finished space. Original hardwood floors throughout entire home. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms. Off-street parking. Freshly painted. New moulding throughout entire first floor. Slightly haunted. Nothing serious, though. e.g. The sounds of phantom footsteps. A strange knocking sound followed by a very quiet (hardly noticeable, even) scream at 3:13am, maybe once a week. Twice a week, tops. And the occasional ghastly visage lurking behind you in the bathroom mirror. Even still, this occurs very rarely and only in the second floor bathroom.
First floor features:
Large living room with an open staircase, stainglass window and a large picture window.
Large dining room with bay windows.
A study/library with another stainglass window and a secret door behind a moving bookcase which leads into a small office.
Kitchen features gas stove top, built-in oven and built-in dishwasher, tile counter top. Stairs leading to basement and a rear staircase leading upstairs. Also has enclosed porch/mudroom.
Full 1st floor bath, very nice tile work and fixtures.
9 foot ceilings throughout 1st floor.
Second floor features:
4 bedrooms. The 2 front bedrooms are separated by double louvered doors. Perfect for a Master Bedroom/Nursery set-up. 3 tall windows in each of the 4 bedrooms.
Huge 2nd Floor full bath with large Victorian bathtub and very large closet.
Large unfinished crawl space behind concealed door hidden in bedroom closet. Very strange area, but perfect for storage.
Rear stairs leading down to kitchen.
Stairs leading up to huge attic.
Huge walk-up attic is partially finished. Spray-foam insulation, wired and three quarters of the way drywalled. Can easily be completed for an additional 400sf of living space. Very tall vaulted ceiling, dormers, 4 windows and rounded turret section (one of the coolest features in the whole house.)
Basement features very large wet bar. Has sink and built-in tap system. Very large space and high ceilings. Basement has nice layout and can also be converted into living space. Also features a half bath.
All around a beautiful home with lots of updates and tons of charm. "

So if you are house hunting in Dunmore and you don't mind the random, phantom scream at 3:13am this is probably the house for you!  You can get all of this for the price of  $144,000.00. 
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1217-Marion-St-Dunmore-PA-18509/9559446_zpid/