Mutually Beneficial Paranormal Research

I know I've been a stranger around the blogosphere for the past eight weeks or so, but that is how it goes this time of year. Now that I'm back behind the desk for a while, book projects are getting polished up, reviews are being written, and events are being scheduled for winter and spring.

One upcoming project that I'm particularly excited about is an excursion to Shirley Plantation. I'm back in the field investigating a few select sites, and this is one of my favorites. To help the Shirley Plantation Foundation, I've been offered the opportunity to invite a small team of paranormal explorers to accompany me on an investigation of the farm's outbuildings and grounds later this month.

Why is this one of my favorite haunted locations? First, the reports of paranormal activity on the property predate the Civil War. Second, their most famous spirit, Aunt Pratt, was the center of a well-documented paranormal disturbance that was witnessed by tens of thousands of people. Finally, this is one site that never disappoints me when it comes to remarkable research findings.

Like many of the other historic sites that are trying to keep their doors open during a time when budgets are being trimmed to near nothing, Shirley Plantation is working to find creative ways to attract visitors. Locations with spry spirits are finally seeing the opportunities available in inviting serious paranormal researchers to use their property as a "laboratory" of sorts for a nominal fee. This is an incredibly important shift in attitudes that I hope every investigator is grateful for and will embrace. When I first started studying phenomena in the field, home and business owners, tour guides, and others would rather risk being rude and unwelcoming than even talk of paranormal activity at their sites. I can only wonder how much went unlearned during those decades and how much preservation was hindered because of tight finances.

Finally, progress is possible because of this cooperation.

Lectures, Workshops, and Discussions, oh my!

Poltergeists - Not Just Hollywood Hype

It's that time of year again. No, not tax time - Summer and Fall event planning time! While I am still sticking to my "less is more" philosophy that I discussed earlier in the year, I will be visiting a select few libraries, museums, schools, and conventions later in 2011. Because these appearances are decidedly few and far between, I've beefed up all of my talks to deliver quality over quantity. Each is a fun, informative, multi-media presentation that gets people talking, but more importantly - gets them thinking.

I have a handful of openings left in the late summer and a couple of dates still available in October. If you know of an organization or event looking for an awesome presentation, send them my way!

Talks for 2011 include:

PARANORMAL 

Civil War Ghosts - Learn about battlefield haunts of the Southeast, including many lesser-known but intense paranormal hotspots. Find out how to investigate these locations safely and legally while capturing great results. (1 hour)

Poltergeists - This lecture provides a comprehensive look back at the history and study of poltergeist activity. A special focus on the Enfield Poltergeist and the tragic case of Tina Resch offer attendees examples of ongoing scientific research of kinetic haunts. (1 hour)

Capturing and Analyzing EVP - Discover the methods used to elicit messages from the spirit world and how to capture those messages with various audio recording devices. Identify false positives, learn the varying classifications of electronic voice phenomena, and hear real examples of EVP from paranormal field investigations. The workshop demonstrates use of the software program Audacity and its value to the researcher in analyzing recorded audio data. (1 hour)

Haunted Henrico - (see HISTORY below)

SPIRITUALITY

Rootwork in America - This lecture illustrates the history and practice of Hoodoo, a folk religion unique to the United States. Learn how Hoodoo differs from Voodoo and why the two are often confused. A spotlight on rootwork in pop culture offers attendees a glimpse of how this mysterious tradition has influenced and infiltrated American life. (45 minutes)

HISTORY

Elizabeth Van Lew : The Witch of Church Hill - A discussion of the life of Elizabeth Van Lew, the Richmond woman whose clever espionage helped to end the American Civil War. Learn how Van Lew was socially ahead of her time and why her prominent family was forever ostracized by Virginia society. (45 minutes)

Unruly Women of Virginia - Virginia women have been going against the grain and making history for four centuries. This lecture highlights the historic contributions of Lady Anne Skipwith, the Randolph women, the Carter women, Elizabeth Van Lew, Maggie L. Walker, and more. (1 hour)

Haunted Henrico - To celebrate Henrico's 400th Anniversary, this lecture presents the history and haunts of several of the county's most notable locations including battlefields, taverns, homes, and more. (1 hour)

No Rest for the Wicked

The past few weeks have been hectic to say the least! A marathon of events and appearances is finally slowing down for the season and I am really looking forward to a little R&R.

Halloween weekend went off with a bang thanks to the 200+ people who turned out to Shirley Plantation for their annual cemetery walk and book-signing. A costumed interpreter portrayed Virginia's most unusual ghost, Aunt Pratt, and led visitors through time at the 400-year old historic site. Pratt, whose portrait is said to cause quite a disturbance when moved, will definitely be back for another year of haunting!

Again, I am incredibly grateful for all of the open-minded and receptive people I've had a chance to meet and work with this year, especially those at Shirley Plantation. If you have a chance to pay them a visit soon, please tell them I sent you!

The Gray Lady of Sherwood Forest Plantation

I just found out that the investigation I did with Virginia Currents at President John Tyler's home is now available to view on the web. Enjoy!

“Virginia Currents” #1923 from Community Idea Stations on Vimeo.

Around the World in Ten Hours

The deadline for "Wicked Richmond" is looming and I'm backed up on research thanks to the most intense winter we've had here in Virginia for nearly 15 years. No worries, I'm set to explore the bowels of the State archives two days this week (thanks to a babysitter!) and will have this project back on course. Have I mentioned how much I love the State Library's archives? Maybe I'm more of a history nerd than I like to believe.

In a change of pace, I'm giving the history side of things a bit of a rest tonight in exchange for some talk about ghosts and discussion of paranormal investigating with Rusty O'Nhiall on his hit Australian radio program, Mysterious and Unexplained. If you're a beginner interested in getting out in the field to investigate on your own, if you wonder how I got my "accidental" start in this area, or if you'd just like to hear about some of my own encounters with things unseen or the encounters relayed to me about spirits here in Virginia, be sure to tune in tonight at 7 PM EST to the Para-X Radio Network!

A Great Day to be in Fredericksburg!

I don't even know where to begin with all of the fun I had visiting the Griffin Bookshop in Old Town Fredericksburg, Virginia. I was a bit shocked to find out when I arrived that Oktoberfest had taken over Caroline Street - but the festival really added to the excitement of the day. The sidewalks were filled with jubilant travelers, some from as far as England and Holland, and everyone wore a smile!

The folks who turned out for my reading were fantastic and had lots of really great questions. I found out afterward that one participant, Emma, even had the nearby museum she works for (Weems-Botts) close early just so she could attend. Talk about a compliment!



The book store was one of the coziest I've ever visited and had the BEST coffee! They must have gotten word of my love for Halloween because they had me set up for the signing in front of this gorgeous display:



For the last hour of the event, we took the fun outdoors and wrapped up the signing on the sidewalk to enjoy the best kind of Fall weather Virginia has to offer. Festival goers were stopping and chatting and sharing fantastic ghost stories from the Fredericksburg area. How often do I get the chance to sign books for folks in lederhosen? Not often enough!



Many thanks to the Griffin Bookshop for their warm hospitality. This was the perfect way to kick off an October FULL of ghostly events in my home state.