CHRISTMAS GHOST STORYTELLING w/VIDEO

Did you know Christmas 

ghost story-telling 

is an old custom? 

I didn't. 

When did this custom begin?  

Ghost stories during winter is a hallowed tradition and a folk custom stretching back centuries, when families would gather around fires on winter nights with tales of spooks and monsters. Makes sense on those long, dark, cold nights with no social media or TV.

But all didn't agreed with the custom. Based in folklore and the supernatural, it was a tradition the Puritans frowned on, so it never gained much traction in America and lost interest in England until Victorian 19th century and with some less Puritan Americans.

Humorist Jerome K. Jerome (1891 collection, Told After Supper), wrote, “Nothing satisfies us on Christmas Eve but to hear each other tell authentic anecdotes about spectres (ghosts). … we love to muse upon graves, and dead bodies, and murders, and blood.” 

Charles Dickens claimed in a 1854 article, “Christmas Eve is the witching time for Story-telling.”

Ying Liu (producer The Haunted Bay Paranormal Investigation YouTube) invited me to a Christmas Ghost Story-Telling at a historical Victorian San Francisco hotel. (our investigation YouTube: https://youtu.be/qYPuQylhQsg )

Eager for some merry Christmas fun off I trotted to the hotel for some spooky surprises. Unfortunately, the hotel cannot be named per management because it seems potential guests voice concern their stay will be fraught of ghostly visits. I, for one, love a good ghost story and visit from one or more of the dead. How about you?

The hotel has a rich history of days gone by in the infamous San Francisco. It's is full of wonderfully preserved 19th and early 20th century antiques. 

The shinning wooden staircase captured my heart right away. I could imagine women in long gowns floating down it. In fact, later I did see a woman ghost floating around the hotel.(see in the ghost YouTube investigation.)

I was joined by a couple of other mediums. Independently we investigated the hotel for ghostly activity. Would we find any?

Not surprisingly each encountered the same and also, different spirits as you'll see on the video https://youtu.be/qYPuQylhQsg 

Following the investigation was an impromptu seance (with many spirit messages) and then spooky ghost stories. 

I was all done in and went to my room early- being the the only one to spend the night and live to tell the tale. Was I visited? Yes.

This investigation didn't make it into my book, How to Talk With Spirits: Seances, Mediums, Ghost Hunts, but many other ones have - like working with law enforcement on a murder case.

Please review www.juneahern.com Purchase eBook or paperback at Amazon; Smashwords.com; Barnes&Noble; and personally autographed through me. 

WINTER SOLSTICE POEM/ GO SKYCLAD

Blessed be High Priestess, Zsuzsanna E. Budapest who rallied and fought 

bravely for the rights of psychic readers and pagans to practice 

without penalties of laws and, in some areas, persecution.

                                    Learn more about Ms. Budapest at https://www.zbudapest.com

                                                           Author, Poet, Psychic, Witch

Winter Solstice is about hope, life, love and the belief in a better future. It's a time of Light - coming from the Darkness into New Times.

On Winter Solstice (12/21) the ritual begins with preparation: take a bath and add rose water, or an oil to calm your mind and body; turn your thoughts inward to your personal power, the truth of you; your abilities, talents, skills; that which makes you unique (we all are).  

After your bathing is completed write a list of negative thoughts you might harbor, actions that caused disharmony for yourself or another, and include any experiences in the present year you wish to leave behind and not repeat again. Burn the competed list in a fire safe container. The ashes you will cast out into nature, perhaps a moving body of water.

Now, make a list of your dreams for the coming time. Think about how spring time brings a sense of hope and joy - a time to grow your dreams into experiences. Keep that list for now.

When dried completely and brave to go skyclad (naked), or wear a robe - go outside and gaze up to the night sky. If the weather doesn't permit you to be comfortable or safe outside open curtains or blinds so you can look up at the night sky. 

If you feel ok outside perhaps you'll go Skyclad (naked to the world).  Skyclad - nothing between you and the sky, nature. Connection to a Divine Source in the Naked Truth. Not identifying yourself through clothing. A Holy Time.

You can chose to wear a sacred or magical -  special to you - piece of jewelry and if you wish, a cape, but leave it open so the freshness of nature fills your pores. Yes, the cold, or cool air tingles your physical, mental and spiritual being to feel life within and around you.

Look up to the skies, open your arms wide and feel the power of the the moon surge through your entire being; embrace the stimulating energy.  

The 2018 Winter Solstice is a powerful one with the full moon and meteor showers. But any moon has its own feel and message. You will know it.

LONG DARK NIGHT’S MOON

A view from the moon

The time of the longest nights has come, and 

the Lady of the Night, The Cold White Moon, rules supreme.

She wheels through the heavens above a white world, as if her 

power were transforming the earth into her own image.

Moonlight glitters, from frosted branches, sparkles from fields of 

new-fallen snow. The air tingles with energy.

Now, in this time of greatest darkness, the Moon is pregnant with light.

The stars dance around her in the heavens, and Earth blossoms 

with a million points of brightness.

Out of the darkness the new year is born.

So Mote it Be.

Read more from 

 “Grandmother Moon”

Zsuzsanna E. Budapest 

June is an author of four books: 2 fiction and 2 non-fiction about parapsychology and paranormal subjects. Review more about me, my books and happening at june ahern.com

#magic #wintersoltice #witches #rituals 

LONG DARK NIGHT= FUTURE DREAMS

WINTER SOLSTICE 

THE LONG DARK NIGHT 

 THE RETURN OF THE SUN

Winter Solstice has been celebrated in cultures the world over for thousands of years. This start of the solar year is a celebration of the return of Light (the sun) and the rebirth of the Sun's power to foster life. 

A time to dream and envision of that yet to be. A time to honor the ancestors with stories; a time to tell tales of spirits walking through the darkness. 

Ancient cultures built huge stone structures designed to align perfectly with the sun at specific times, such as dawn or high noon. And some ancient peoples performed sacred rituals and celebrated all night, and I'm sure for days.

How will you celebrate? I've been invited to a "ghost story" time in one of San Francisco's historical Victorian hotels. While there I agreed to be filmed with what spirits or ghosts from yesteryear I might pick up. There will be two other mediums. I'm the only one spending the night at the hotel. Hope to get some sleep between ghost visits.

It just seemed like a fun thing to do, sit around and tell stories. That's what our ancestors did during The Long Dark Nights of winter. Stories of their ancient ancestors, of dreams, and visions of tomorrow - spring time. They hoped for better times. 

Sound familiar? Yes, we too hope for better times during the winter of our own lives. We wish others Happy New Year! 

East to West ancestors celebrated this time of year. Iranian people celebrate the night of the Northern Hemisphere's winter solstice as Yada night. It's one the oldest Iranian traditions that has been present in Persian culture from the ancient years. The pagan Scandinavian and Germanic people of northern Europe celebrated a twelve-day "midwinter" (winter solstice) holiday called Yule (aka Jul, Julblot, from the Norse, Jul, meaning wheel.)

What about your culture? What rituals do you follow?

It's really no mystery or need to be any one religious belief why our ancestors celebrated winter solstice: It began with Nature. 

Winter: food became and still can be, scarce. Weather conditions plunge into low temperatures, heavy, cold rains; snow; winds -  illness comes easy with runny noses, scratchy throats, pneumonia, influenza and too often death of the old and very young.

Staying alive in a rugged terrain, lack of food, safe shelter, harsh weather - was and is a main concern for some in the world.  Although self-imposed hardships, I think of those on "Naked and Afraid" television show and doing so has me thinking of our ancestors who struggled to just have food, water and warm sheltering. 

Bringing joy during a hard time: Our ancestors had to have hope; they had to belief better times were on the way, just like we do. Thus we celebrate life with sharing laughter, gifts, foods, just being together. And, like us today, it begins with a focus, a purpose - rituals - why we're celebrating - thanking a Divine Source keeping us alive. 

In olden times families and friends would travel often for miles to mingle and be together just as we do today. Gift giving when visiting the homes of others is a custom nearly all enjoy.

Sprucing up: Decorating trees surrounding homes, decorating inside the home became a festive custom. Red, for the energy of the sun, green for mother nature. Life!

How will you give to those in need? That is part of this sacred time's ritual and celebration. Share what you have - thus we have "gift giving." 

With all that said, you understand why Winter Solstice is a most special time. It's about the birth of light, awaiting the birth of the sun. A time to vision what is to come; dreams are vivid as the night's are longer and hope to make it to spring gives life to the mind, body and spirit. 

Tonight, if you can, stay up to greet the sun.

Blessed be.

How to Talk with Spirits: Seances, Mediums, Ghost Hunts is one of my books available in paperback and eBook. I have authored three more books.  Review more at www.juneahern.com

#wintersoltice #pagan #magic #ghosts #paranormal #rituals #winterrituals 

FREE - GIVE-AWAY eBook

onlinebookclub.org is offering a give-away for my first novel The Skye in June. See link to at bottom of blog.

The book has collectively over 700 overwhelming positive reviews reviews at Amazon (US, UK, France, Japan); goodreads.com; Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, online.org - to name a few sites.

A story with laughs, sorrow, adventure, anger, the usual family drama. Has a mystery, with the answer to be found in the Isle of Skye.

Learn some Scottish sayings and customs, walk the streets of one of San Francisco's well-known neighborhoods back in the day, watch the family change over the years.

The MacDonalds are a Scottish immigrant family who emigrated to San Francisco, California in the mid 1950s after a family tragedy. 

The four girls come of age during the changing environs of the 1960s - a wild and crazy time.

They live in a most well-known neighborhood of the city that most now know of as The Castro, but is actually named Eureka Valley.

Eureka Valley or "The Valley" has old time residents called it, is the heart of the city - sitting almost right dab in the center of it of San Francisco if you will.

It's a historical novel as the story takes you up and down Castro Street and you can stop at one of the most historical businesses which continues to thrive today - Cliff's Department store.

Take in a movie at The Castro Theatre, which was a hubbub for the neighborhood kids who clamored to it, waiting in long lines every Saturday.

Read more about the story at june ahern.com and enter to win a kindle copy. Ready, go.. 

Good Luck!. Here is the link to the giveaway:

https://www.amazon.com/ga/p/63ab229e65d26c28