August 2011 by Alice Herden

Voices to Visions July 2011

Voices to Visions July 2011 ABOUT US

MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTORS

Cheryl Smeed Alice Mary Herden Workshop Articles Founder of Dust and Shadows, a Paranormal Investigation and Research Group. Alice is also freelance photographer and graphic artist. Her experiences with the Paranormal go back to where she resided with her family in Largo. Encounters with the paranormal have been from breathing to a full black mass apparition. For this magazine, I wanted to share as much information about the paranormal without all the adversity. I do hope our readers learn as much as we do with each month we put this magazine together.

Articles • Editor Views: Alice Mary Herden • Interviews: Alice Mary Herden • Encounters: Alice Mary Herden • Paranormal Folklore: Alice Mary Herden • Famous Haunting: Alice Mary Herden or Karen Bashak • Famous Locations: Alice Mary Herden or Karen Bashak • 101-Dictionary: Alice Mary Herden • Paranormal Team: Alice Mary Herden • Workshop: Cheryl Smeed • Dust and Shadows: Alice Mary Herden

Cheryl is a certified parapsychologist with over 30 years’ experience. She is clairvoyant and remembers communicating with spirit companions from a very young age. Cheryl brings to our group the ability to communicate with disembodied spirits, providing information and insight to our investigations. “If you keep your mind open, you will see far beyond your beliefs.”

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ Issue Contents All material and information gathered within this magazine are researched and/or solely opinions stated by the writer. You choose your opinions and beliefs upon your own conclusion with each expressed view or article written. Photography Artwork All photography and artwork within this magazine are property of the photographer and/or artist.

Karen Bashak Article Writer Karen and I work together at the same retail establishment for over 5 years. She is talented, smart, beautiful and just a joy! I am so happy that she has time to write articles for our magazine.

Interviews Interviews are conducted via e-mail. If possible, some interviews are conducted in person and recorded. Our Sponsors Vision-Vault LLC Green-Fly Media (coming 2012) Merchandising Professionals LLC Action Sales and Merchandising INC Arrowwear USA

Jesselee Lang Concept Art for Paranormal Folklore Jesselee Lang is a superb 3D fantasy-based artist that tells astounding stories through digital art. He lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where he provides design, artwork, and graphics to the web, print, and video game industries. He offers free images for download at his website, and you can find his art spray-painted on the sides of train cars. Jesselee enjoys creating powerful stories, projecting them into a single work of art for others to appreciate. His works put you in the middle of the action. I met Jesselee through a stock photography site. I enjoy in artistic view and creative imagination. He is a great addition to this magazine. http://www.darkgeometry.ca/

John and Cindy DeHaven Donald and Bobbie Herden Become a sponsor Sponsors donations help with the yearly payment of the website. For more information about becoming a sponsor, please email us at: Editor@voicestovisions.com Special Thanks A special thanks to my husband, Donald Herden Jr. You have been the light of my life and I love you will all my soul. Thank you for being a huge supporter in all my goals. I could have never lived without you. Our Magazine is non-profit. You only pay for printing and shipping.

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ Voices to Visions: a Dust and Shadows Magazine in association with Vision-Vault LLC ©2011 IN THIS ISSUE • Editors Views Loss of a pet • Good Grief Center Marilyn Chapa • Interview Kathleen Berard • Encounters Spirits of Animals • Paranormal Folklore Black Shuck/Black Dogs • Famous Places Cashtown Inn • Famous Haunting Cock Land Ghost • Readers Ghost Stories Ghost Stories • 101-Dictionary Spirit Totem • Workshop Spirits of Animals • Paranormal Team of the Month Pennsylvania Paranormal Association • Dust and Shadows Location Green Cove Springs Re-Visited

~ This issue is dedicated to every living or in-spirit animal ~

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ Wildlife Organizations and Animal Shelters will always be in need of help. You can always help through donations, or volunteer your time. Below are a list of websites to visit for consideration. Association of Zoos and Aquariums http://www.aza.org/ ASPCA http://www.aspca.org/ World Wildlife Fund http://www.worldwildlife.org/homefull.html Humane Society http://www.humanesociety.org/ You can also search your local wildlife sanctuary, SPCA or Humane Society to see how you can donate food, supplies, or spare change. Our wildlife will always be in danger, due to poachers and illegal hunters. We all understand that without a balance, our wildlife, in some areas may become overpopulated, but it is still sad to see them have to be under some control, by humans. Even humans are overpopulated; do you think that is why the Earth does what it does, so the Earth can control the world from becoming to overpopulated? Who would control it at all at the end? Humans that control the earth, the wildlife that are free to roam, or the Earth that rules it all.

*White tiger cub photo by Alice Mary Herden

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ Editor Views

Loss of a Pet Your pet is your life, the companionship and their unconditional love fills your life with so much happiness. To one day loose, that is devastating. We always had dogs, cats, fish, gerbils, and horses. One time we had nine cats, Penny, Boots, Leo, Smokie, Hobo, Hobo number one, Blackie and Sambo. Now Sambo I took when we went out to dinner at a restaurant called Sambos, hence why we named her that. I grabbed her and jumped in the back of the station wagon before my Dad found out what I was holding in my hands. Dogs: Pepper, Rosey and Imp. Horses: Daisy, Blue, and Star. God only knows what our fish and gerbil names were. I do remember how most of the pets we had passed on. Nevertheless, it is too sad to go back through all that. Kassie Marie was the best dog I ever had. She was a beautiful full blood line Golden Retriever. She gave me so much joy and laughter. She was a funny dog and very protective with her space with other dogs. Kassie was not herself, and as a dog owner, you know when your pet is just not the same. We took her to the vet and found out that she had a slight tear in her spleen. The night before she got her wings, she was playing around with her ball, as if nothing was wrong. When I got home from work that Saturday night, she was not moving, her gums were white, and she just could not get up. We put her in the backseat, with me holding on to her, crying. It was the right thing to do; she would have not last long after the surgery and for her to go through all that would have not been fair to her, just for me to hang on to her a couple of weeks more. The decision to let her get her wings and fly was hard to make. She closed her eyes, I held her, and then she felt so cold. I was in such a numb state; I could not feel anything, I had no emotions, no sense of awareness, I could not see anything around me. Nothing. We now have an urn containing her ashes placed on the mantle. I told my husband when I do finally pass on; I want to be with her. He said we would have to get a bigger urn then. I look at him dumbfounded. I smiled, and gave him a hug.

Anyone that has dealt with losing a pet, regardless if it is a frog, turtle or even a pot belly pig, it is heartbreaking. We know how you feel. One thing I do want to tell you is, never go out to replace your loss pet too quickly. Give yourself at least a year. You give the chance for that pet you are supposed to have in your life to find you. When we had to let Kassie go, I waited a year, and I can tell you how bad I craved puppy breathe. Oh do I love puppy breath. I could easily have gone out to get another puppy anytime, but it just was not right. It was not the right time. Then one day we went out to the flea market, I had one thing on my mind, comic books, nothing else. This was the first time I have seen so many puppy adoption areas in my life. Everywhere I turned; there was a space to adopt a puppy. It was like being in one of the movies where you are standing still and everything around you is turning. That is it folks. That was what I was seeing. I held my ground, and just kept walking. Then I turned to this one adoption set up where there were so many puppies. I looked around and stood in from of this pen, I put my hands inside and said whoever comes to me, goes home with me. Welcome our newest family member, Maya Bree Herden. Also known as, Bumble Bree, Boo, Booboo, Buttercup, Cinnamon Roll, Batgirl, and the list goes on. She is the best puppy ever.

* Photo of Maya Bree when she was eight weeks old, now going strong at two years old Can you connect with your lost pet? It is to say the least

comforting when some people that claim they can talk to your petsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; spirit can soothe your emotions. Telling you that they are in a safe place and they are happy, running, and playing with other dogs. However, we really do not know for sure.

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ Good Grief Center

Center meets people wherever they are on their grief journey, to offer support, education, resources, and hope. § While the notion of stages may help people to make sense of death, the grief experience typically is not orderly or predictable. Like many grief experts and organizations nowadays, GGC believes the five-stage theory can be misleading and does not realistically apply to the wideranging, ever-changing, and often conflicting feelings of those grieving the death of a loved one. § Swiss psychiatrist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross introduced the concept of the five stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance—in her 1969 groundbreaking book, “On Death and Dying.” The stages were based on her observations of the experiences of terminally ill patients—not people grieving the death of a loved one. The stages did not apply to grieving survivors until decades later, after readers generalized the theory to include other major life losses.

Interview with Marilyn Chapla • First, can you tell us about you and your involvement with the Good Grief Center? I started with the Good Grief Center (GGC) in 2001 when the Center itself was just starting out. At that time, we did not even have office space. Our founder and Executive Director, Lulu Orr, assembled an advisory board and I was the only volunteer at that time. After a few months, I was asked to join the board, which I did until I graduated with my social work degree in 2004. (I changed careers later in life.) I then resigned from the board to join the staff as Associate Director.

§ Dr. Kubler-Ross never intended for her stage theory to be interpreted as a rigid, linear grief timeline. In Chapter I of her 2005 book, “On Grief and Grieving,” co-authored with David Kessler, she wrote: “The stages have evolved since their introduction, and they have been very misunderstood over the past three decades. They were never meant to help tuck messy emotions into neat packages. They are responses to loss that many people have, but there is not a typical response to loss, as there is no typical loss. Our grief is as individual as our lives.” About grief § Grief-related terms can be confusing. GGC uses these definitions: Grief: What an individual thinks and feels inside when someone they love dies. In other words, it is the internal meaning given to the experience of loss.

• Our August Issue includes Loss of a Pet, can you explain to our readers the emotional stages one goes through when they deal with losing a pet.

Mourning: The outward expression of those thoughts and feelings. For example, talking about the person who died, crying, or expressing grief through art.

There are some misconceptions about the well-known five stages of grief

§ Grief is not a mental illness; it is a part of being human. It is a multitude of emotions and a natural, although intense, reaction when someone or a companion animal dies. It also is something that everyone will experience, probably many times in his or her lives.

§ Instead of “grief stages,” GGC uses the term “grief journey” when referring to the grief healing process. The

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ § There are different types of grief:

Most people are able to manage/cope with grief and go on to enjoy life again.

Normal grief: A natural process, which encompasses a broad range of feelings and behaviors following a loss. These feelings and behaviors gradually soften as the person accepts the loss and moves forward with their life. Complicated grief: A term describing a grief process that, due to severe emotional pain and other issues, lasts much longer than normal grief and prolongs the time of mourning. For example: when a person is in a clinical depression or suffering from post-traumatic stress. It is sometimes referred to as unresolved grief. A person experiencing complicated grief typically feels “stuck” and has trouble resuming their life. Anticipatory grief: Grief, which occurs prior to a loss, such as when a loved one or a companion animal has a terminal illness. § Symptoms associated with grief may include the following: Emotional: Sadness, anxiety (including panic attacks), fear, shock, disbelief, numbness, anger, guilt, loneliness, and feeling as if you are going crazy. Physical: Crying spells, fatigue, insomnia, nausea, aches and pains, lowered immunity, and weight loss/gain. Behavioral: Sleep problems, absent-mindedness, confusion, and withdrawal from friends and relatives.

Spiritual: Searching, exploring, questioning, and a deepening or lessening of one’s faith. § Grief has no time limit. It can last for days, weeks, months, or years depending on factors such as the individual’s relationship with deceased, religious beliefs or life experiences. Experiencing the death of a loved one or a companion animal is life changing. § The goal of healing through grief support is not to “get over” the loss, or work towards “closure”; these things imply that a door should be closed, the deceased should be forgotten about, and painful memories should be erased. Rather, the goal of healing through grief support is to learn how to live with the loss—to manage the pain of a loved one’s death, and to remember the loved one fondly.

* Photo of Marilyn Chapla beautiful cat, Jasmine Grief is not necessarily a linear process and involves: 1) Accepting the reality of the loss; Opposite is not accepting – someone can be in shock – sudden unexpected death – Telling the story over and over helps the person to accept the reality of it. It is not unheard of for a person to be numb and in shock for the first year especially if it is an unexpected death. 2) Working through the pain of the grief; Allowing oneself to cry – not numbing out with drugs/alcohol or work. Numbing can delay the grief process. 3) Adjust to the world without the deceased. Internally – who am I now? Externally – what roles and responsibilities do I take on? Spiritually – turn towards a higher power, turn away, question, search for answers. 4) To find an enduring connection with the deceased in the midst of embarking on a new life. Memorialize the person/companion animal. Okay to build new relationships. • What do you, as a counselor tell the person that has lost a pet, to comfort them, where their pet may have gone? In addition, is that answering a belief within you? As professionals, we would never impose our beliefs on the clients rather we ask them about what they believe and then explore that with them. It is not about us, this is time for them to process their grief. If they find comfort feeling that, their beloved companion animal is at the rainbow bridge waiting for them, which is perfectly fine

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ with us. Whether we believe it or not is not the point. It is all about what gives comfort to the client. We are present as active listeners, coaches, educators, and advocates. If they believe, the end is the end – that is okay too. We never let our own “stuff” get in the way. •Have you had any experiences yourself losing a pet and how did you handle that situation? My first dog died when I was in my early 20’s and he died young (seven y.o.) due to a liver disease. Our family was devastated and luckily, no one wanted to go out and simply “replace” Shamu. Many years later, I now have three healthy cats. I know in my hearts of hearts I will grieve each one of them differently because of the very special and different relationship I have with them. I have a better handle on how to grieve in a healthy way. It will be an easier, but I will turn to people who understand the connection a human has with an animal. And I will stay away from the people who do not understand and have the tendency to say, “It was just a cat – go get another one!” It is imperative to know who you can talk to for support. Not everyone understands the pain nor is everyone able to offer compassionate support. • Have you encountered any situation during your counseling when a person looses a pet, have told you they have seen their spirit? What was your reaction to this and explanation on why, if so, they have seen their pet’s spirit?

• What, in your opinion, would be the best advice for the steps of closure in letting go of the emptiness one feels after the loss of their pet? We really do not use the word “closure.” I have heard people respond in a negative way to that word. Many feel the word implies that the animal is now forgotten. Instead, we talk about learning to live with the loss. The pain of grief will lessen and soften over time and we must move on and life our live/love again. And that is what the grief process is all about, learning to live life again and remembering our companion animal with less pain and recalling often all those happier memories. If the person feels there is a time when they are ready to share their love with another animal that is wonderful. We all know there are so many out there who need homes. But that is a very personal decision. If and when that time comes, that will help with the emptiness. Remember – you are never replacing the animal that died but you are opening up your heart to love again and that is a tribute to the companion animal that died. We learn so much from them. Now if that is something you feel is impossible to do, try volunteering at a shelter. Marilyn, thank you so much for taking time out to talk about the Pet Loss service your Center provides.

It is not uncommon for that human/animal bond connection to remain and sometimes it may be seen in some form. But just as people wish so hard to see a loved one, sometimes it just does not happen. If people are open to the many possibilities it might happen in a way that will awaken the senses. Some people might see what they believe to be an image of their pet or hear them walking, barking, purring, or smell them or notice the wind blowing in a certain way or a beam of light – I have heard many, many stories. I always remind those waiting for “a sign” to be patient and be open to what it might be We simply listen, validate, and support them. We are not there to be judgmental. If it means something to them and it gives them some comfort, we are fine with that as long as it is not hurting them or others.

*Photos provided by Marilyn Chapla

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________

Animal Totem 2012 Calendars 11

http://www.zazzle.com/ladykassie

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________

* Kassie Marie * Hobo Number 1 * Hobo Number 2 * Blackie * Sambo * Sambo 2 * Penney * Leo * Smokie

*Crystal Rainbow Moonstone Mother: Cheryl Smeed

* Boots * Daisy * Blue * Turtle * Gerbils * Imp * Rosey * Pepper

*Dixie Chick Mother: Karen Bashak

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ Can animals sense spirits?

is still unknown. Some facts are known that in Prehistoric time, hunters would take wolf pups, after they have killed their mother and during the time of the pup’s growth, these pups trained for hunting and companionship. Dog’s sense of smell is 1,000 to 10,000,000 times more sensitive than humans as well as detecting sound frequency ranging from 67-45,000 Hz then humans that can hear up to 23,000 Hz. Therefore, the possibility is there for them to sense some type of paranormal phenomenon. * Source: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/articles/dogsenses.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin_of_the_domestic_dog Using dogs in your Paranormal Investigations Bree and I do have a strong connection with each other. My husband would agree on that. Sometimes she can hear things that I cannot; there are two incidents I can share.

* Photo of Bree by Alice Mary Herden I have considered taking Bree to test her on how she deals being on a paranormal investigation. Part of me thinks she would be great sensing any type of phenomena but part of me does not want to subject her to anything that would affect her happy spirit, if that any makes sense. Many people do say that animals, such as dogs and cats can see spirits. Noted for the pets that have experienced paranormal, Discovery Channels Animal Planet, Haunted shows us some signs of that these animals may or may not have that sense of attunement to actually see spirits, beyond what we can see, but it is possible. History The origin of the domesticated dog came from the gray wolf. Archeologists have placed the domestic dog 30,000 BC to 7,000 BC, however evidence was founded 12,000 years ago in Palestine when a grave was unearth to find a dog and human buried together. Over centuries to find, the true blend of how the domestic dog was interbreeding

One day I was in my office and she started to growl at something in the living room, she came and got me and I asked her to “show me” and she would take me to where she heard something. She looked up towards the wall, tilted her head back and forth, and then looked at me. I waited and I did not hear anything. I went back to my office and again she came and got me. She went to the same location. I waited and then I did hear some scratching within the wall. A squirrel must have been making a den within the wall. Another incident was when she growled while looking at the corner of the room in the living room. Both Don and I were there, we looked and there was nothing. It might have been a lizard or something. Now knowing this, Don had an experience where he saw a shadow in that corner one night, which the shadow not only went towards him but through him. Dogs have such a high level of hearing; does it make them more susceptible to experience paranormal presences? I am not sure. However, this is something I would have to test out at a location that we know in fact has paranormal activity.

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ Bree’s First Exploration Bonnie LeToureau, member of the Hernando Historical Museum, had invited us back with Bree to give us the opportunity to explore the May Stringer house. This is the first time Bree had been on an exploration and the first time she actually climbed stairs. It was, also the first time a dog had been in the house to train for a paranormal exploration. We all knew that Bree was exploring a new location, walking around and sniffing out all the new scents surrounding and within this house. Cheryl had her on the leash and Michelle was videotaping. I had three digital recorders and placed them where we felt would be good places to leave undisturbed. One I placed on the top of the stairs, one on the dining room table and the other one right near the entrance to the military room. We were not expecting to get any type of evps during this visit; the main reason was for Bree and testing her behavior. Having this opportunity to let Bree explore, gave us an understanding on how her behavior is, what excites her and what startles her. From me just being away from her I was able to observe her types of behaviors.

so she can actually “show me” where she hears something or sees something. Overall, this experience was over what I expected. Bree was extremely alert and respectful. She stayed with us, she did not whine, struggle or acted out. She knew the communication with Cheryl, Michelle and myself. We encouraged her and praised her, and she knew she was safe with her Aunts and her Mom being right by her side. Know your dog, and observe his or her behavior in common situations. This may help you during your investigations when they are with you. I think the best part of all of this was when Bree gave her love and appreciation to Bonnie, giving all those kisses on the bench Bonnie. The digital recorders we left behind did not capture anything solid for me to consider paranormal, we really were concentrating on the behavior patterns of Bree. I was hoping to interact with the little girl, whose name is still unknown to us, but unfortunately, there was no connection. Maybe next time.

Behaviors • When Bree sees someone, she puts her ears back; head slanted upward as she slightly crunches down and wags her tail gently. The mannequins within the house, Bree thought that they were actually human, and her interaction when she saw them was the same as if they were real. • When Bree is apprehensive, she stretches. She has a firm grounded stretch as she tries to get a scent of what is in front of her. • When Bree is scared or startled, she goes behind me. Bree was interested in the Military Room; she did go back to that room quite a few times. Did she see something or sense something? We are unsure at this time. I know that Bree understands what the words “Show me” mean. We do this at home when she hears a noise, and she knows to get me when she hears or sees something. This I feel is a good asset to have during an investigation,

* photos by Cheryl Smeed

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ Training your Investigations

Dog

for

Paranormal

In the end the decision was made my with team’s recommendation and encouragement. The P.I. Team is an incredible group of people that fully supported me when I presented the idea of training a canine Para-investigator. My prior experience with training had shown me that the sky is the limit with what our canine companions are capable of; I had a theory and proceeded to do a ton of research to form a hypostasis and then a formal training schedule. • Can you share with our readers and to paranormal investigators that would like to include their dogs on investigations what steps are needed in order to make an investigation successful?

Interview with Josh Kramer from PI Team of Utah • Josh, can you share a little information to our readers about you. I am a 37-year-old account executive residing in Salt Lake City, Utah with my wonderful wife and two Labradors. I am also an investigator with the PI team of Utah. I enjoy winter sports such as skiing and curling, in summer I train and participate in multiple dog sports with my labs. Like many in the paranormal field, I have had a fascination with all things paranormal going back to a very young age. • Share with our readers about your canine companion Captain. The Captain is a two and a half year old purebred Yellow Lab we got from an amazing breeder in Michigan. Cappy, as he is affectionately called, is the very definition of brains, brawn, and beauty. Training him is a pleasure as he is extremely sharp and picks up things quickly. Cappy participates in canine weight pull where he officially pulled 2,395 lbs., which is over 27 x his body weight. He is also about halfway to his champion status in the show ring (this is his mom’s doing). He has exceptional drive and a great desire to please which helps him excel in these and other venues. • What made you decided to go into the paranormal field using your dog, and how much of that has put valued proof within your investigations that dogs are highly sensitive.

There are several important factors to consider when including dogs in the field. The three most important are socialization, temperament, and basic obedience. You never know what you will run into while investigating and you will want to be confident that whatever you are faced with will not traumatize your dog. Some good socialization exercises and temperament tests are necessary. Having your dog around other dogs and animals of varying shapes and sizes is a good start. Another necessity would be the introduction strangers representing things we might run into on the street. Some examples are people in various types of hats, in wheelchairs, on skateboards, scooters, and bikes. It is also important to not forget to simulate situations with loud noises and many distractions. The obedience piece that is most important is an ironclad recall (or “come command”). Let us face it; danger can present itself at any time in the field. You need to be confident that if something goes down, your dog will return to you immediately once instructed regardless of the circumstance.

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ investigations or smaller to mid-size venues do not require a canine investigator. In fact, they can get in the way and become a hindrance or even a hazard on these investigations. • When training your dog, what aspect of the paranormal do you target train your dog to zone in on.

• Knowing that safety is of the utmost importance when you are on an investigation with your dog, would there be any concerns that you have dealing with the emotional and mental state of your dog if he happens to experience something paranormal? This is just one of the beauties of using a canine investigator. With being human, everything from pop culture to folklore teaches us to fear the paranormal. Canines however are not emotionally handcuffed in that manner. Dogs will react to the paranormal just as they would any other everyday occurrence. If there is an intruder in your home, a dog might make a defensive stance regardless if it is a living burglar or a manifested spirit. It has been widely documented that dogs have a true sixth sense. With this, your dog can sense fear, joy, sadness, and any other emotion in humans or other animals. On an investigation, you and your team might experience anxiety, fear, and a variety of other emotions. That being said be sure to maintain a good attitude, reassurance, and positive reinforcement for your dog throughout the investigation. Otherwise, your dog may associate negative feelings with investigation and be miserable on site or even refuse to go at all in the future. • When your team had been requested to do an investigation, was there a location that you felt was not right to have Captain enter? Just like with some equipment, a canine investigator can be overkill on many investigations. Typical residential

A dog’s primary sense is that of smell. Canine noses are anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000,000 times more powerful than ours depending on the breed and individual dog. I had taken a few scent work courses in the past and used that as a basis to work up an entire curriculum for The Captain. Scent work is the foundation for drug and bomb sniffing dogs as well as training in the forensics and search and rescue fields. It is widely accepted in the paranormal field that when a spirit or ghost manifests it draws energy creating an electromagnetic field. It has been scientifically proven that dogs can in fact smell the electricity and emitted ozone from even the most minor EMF fields. A dog’s nostrils actually move independently giving them directionality with scents. This basically gives them the ability to act as an EMF detector that can hunt down an EMF field from any direction, quickly and more efficiently in larger locations. Knowing that dogs can detect drowning victims in 80 feet of water, well-hidden contraband, and people trapped under feet of debris or snow, detecting, and identifying an EMF did not seem that radical of a concept.

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ • Is there one particular investigation that when you brought along Captain that stood out on collecting paranormal evidence of that location? Given the sensitive nature of investigating we have strict confidentially agreements with many of our clients where those investigations cannot be discussed, even in theory. However, one of the PI Team’s favorite haunts, Union Station which is a majestic old Train Station beautifully updated into a museum is fair game. This is the site where we found out that this concept would become a reality. After a media event there, we decided on a walk through and to give Captain a dry run just for fun (as his training was not yet complete at the time). I lined him up in a historically active conference room and gave him his command “find a ghost” and he was off. Almost immediately, he went behind us into an adjacent prep area so I wrangled him up for a do over. Again, he went into same room, however this time I had my EMF detector in hand. There were a couple of areas in the kitchen area that put of significant EMF readings and he had detected these from some 30 feet away. We were very excited to watch this unfold.

novelty. This type of recklessness also deteriorates the credibility of those who put forth the effort to make sure their dogs are an asset to their clients, teams, and the paranormal community as a whole. I have worked with dog behaviorists and learned to read canine body language. I highly recommend you really learn your dog’s reactions to as many social situations as possible. If while on an investigation you recognize an action that your dog might display with meeting a strange dog or person in an open area, you could be in the presence of something and might want to temporarily focus your investigation on that area. Be sure to do your homework, practice and train consistently. It is very important to never let your dog fail. Depending on how your dog responds, it might take extra time for them to get the “game.” Positive reinforcement and rewarding are crucial throughout the process. To them this is a game and you need to keep it fun and enjoyable for them. There are not many professions where you can take your best friend to work with you and actually be productive. Lastly, do not forget to have fun! Thank you Josh and Cappy for taking time out to be featured in our magazine.

* Photos provided by Josh Kramer • In last words, what is the most important factor you would like paranormal investigators to know when using their own dogs during an investigation? I take this very seriously and would encourage other people considering bringing a dog into the field to do the same. I have seen a few things in various media forms that I find deeply disconcerting with dogs in the paranormal field. Just like any piece of complicated equipment, an untrained dog and/or handler will be nothing more than a

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ August Interview

Kathleen Berard * Kathleen, can you please take this moment to share with our readers about you. My life’s passion is helping animals and people in the ways I can best do that. Currently that encompasses my work as an Animal Communicator, Holistic Care Consultant, vibrational essence practitioner, Intuitive Guidance Consultant, Medium, and Medical Intuitive. I am also author of Kat’s Journal, a free private bi-monthly e-mail newsletter which includes animal communication stories, what the animals teach us, information about holistic care, spirituality and more. My clientele and newsletter readers are located worldwide, and I also teach workshops locally and internationally. • Can you share with our readers, your first experience you had communicating with an animal? What animal was this experience with and how did you feel afterwards?

As a young child I was very aware I understood animals at a different level than the adults around me. I didn’t talk with animals in the manner I do now (see more about that below), but I understood that they were sentient beings with feelings, thoughts, emotions, wants, needs and desires. As well, that the various species are here for many different reasons, part of which is to assist humanity in evolving as human Be-ings and as souls by being teachers for us, as well as conveyors of unconditional Love. Animals are here for many different reasons, as we humans are, and they are a blessing to us and this planet. My first experience communicating with an animal was with my childhood dog, Ginger. She was a Weimaraner who was six months old when I was born, and she was my very best friend. I could sense when she was sad, uncertain, unhappy, wanted to go outside (without her going to the door first), wanted more attention, didn’t feel well, and the like. It was not by watching her body language but rather by sensing/feeling her emotions, the physical sensations in her body, and receiving information that came in as a sense of “knowing” rather than as words or pictures. When I realized I was understanding how she felt and what she needed, and that she considered her Self my best friend and “guardian of the heart”, I tried to explain this to some of the adults around me. I was told that “the dog didn’t say that/didn’t convey that/wasn’t feeling that”. After a few experiences like that, I learned to not saying anything about Ginger’s feelings and the like to anyone. But I didn’t stop connecting with Ginger at a deep level, and I trusted her like no one else in my life. She was truly my best friend. She accepted me when others thought I was strange, weird, different, and/or difficult to understand. Ginger was with my family for 12 years. She taught me about Love, loyalty, and friendship just by Be-ing Who She Is (as a soul and as a personality in the body we called “Ginger”). I came to understand that no matter what the humans around me thought of me, Ginger always accepted me completely and with unconditional Love. She was tolerant, patient and very kind-hearted. I realized that even if the humans did not understand me, at least one animal did. Over the years during and since childhood I have been blessed to have a wide variety of animal companions including parakeets, rats, cats, dogs and even a horse. I am fascinated with the animal world! I’ve learned so much

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ about life and how to live as a better human from the animals, both my animal companions and my client’s animal companions.

• Ending your long years of being in the corporate world, what was the deciding factor that put you on the path with communicating with animals? In 1996 my beloved horse, affectionately nicknamed Bubba, died unexpectedly while I was out of town. I was devastated and could not understand how he could “leave” me like that. I was looking for answers to that and other questions such a where do animal’s souls go when they exit the physical world. The deep grief I felt over Bubba’s passing pushed me to seek out answers and information. I came to realize he didn’t “leave” me, he just had to continue with his soul’s evolution and his work here as Bubba was complete. I had a very strong telepathic connection with Bubba while he was with me in body and I wanted to further that connection with him in spirit. I learned about an animal communication workshop during this time (I believe there are no coincidences) and it piqued my interest. I participated in that and other such workshops over a two year period and after talking with 50-60 animals to hone my natural telepathic and intuitive abilities, I decided I wanted to do this as part of my life’s work. • How strongly do you believe that after the death of a beloved pet leaves this world but their spirit may still reside in the comfort of their home? This is not an unusual occurrence and I have experienced it myself with my own and my clients’ animal friends in

spirit. While I don’t see the animal’s spirit “residing” or constantly staying in the home in the great majority of cases, I do feel and sense from them that they remain connected in some manner energetically (Love connection/bond/energy cord) and at some level (higher plane of vibration/existence) with their beloved human and animal companions, that they are simply “a thought away” for the human. Animals will give their human loved ones a sign of one sort or another, or several over time, that they are okay after transitioning. They have not in my experience remained in constant unending contact with the human in terms of such signs, but they energetically remain connected as soul-friends, regardless of who incarnates again first. The soul connection remains unbroken. It is much like having a friend who lives in another town; you’re not constantly in their physical presence but you know you can pick up the telephone (think of the animal and connect telepathically) at any time. A lack of constant deliberate connection (such as by being on the telephone continuously or by thinking of the animal non-stop) does not break the bond. • Working with so many animals for many of years, have you ever experienced any paranormal incidents that have actually been those of animals that have passed on? I have had a number of clients over the years tell me that after their animal friend passed, they have heard, smelled, seen, felt, sensed and/or been aware of in some other manner their animal in spirit connect with them, such as by leaving them a whisker to find, jumping on the bed or couch next to them, leaning up against their leg, putting a paw on them, making a familiar noise, ruffling the towel on the dog bed, and the like. They have also told me that the animal has appeared to them in dreams, has conveyed a message to them through a book or other writing that the person comes across, has connected with their beloved human through another human saying (for example), “I thought of Rover today, and just wanted you to know”, and in other ways as well. • Can you explain to our readers what one of your sessions would consist of when you are working with a client? Most professional Animal Communicators work by telephone; I only do so in extreme emergencies. My preferred method is by typed transcript. I have the client (who could be anywhere in the world) provide me with

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ two pictures of their animal friend, some basic information about the animal, and then the list of questions, issues, and/or personal messages they want me to work with the animal about. I look at the photographs and connect telepathically with the animal, whether live or in spirit, and then I type out everything I say to them (mind-to-mind connection) and describe in detail everything that the animal relays back to me (words, images, feelings, physical sensations, thought-forms/concepts, and the like). I send the transcript to the client, who calls me after reading it so that I can confirm all is clear to them. I never physically meet the animals that I work with (or the humans I do intuitive guidance sessions for). My clients like the transcript format because it gives them a permanent written record to refer back to, and this is also helpful to veterinarians who may be open to information that is obtained when I do a body scan on an animal with health issues.

I always leave it up to the human client to let me know if they want me to ask their animal friend about a past life connection between that human and animal. There have been a very few cases where the two had not had a past life together, but the great majority of them have. I ask the animal to show me two past lives with that human, and what I have learned is that we are not souls who (in most cases) choose only one species to be throughout various lifetimes. I have had animals show me a lifetime where they were the human and their human was an animal companion to them, lifetimes where both were humans, and lifetimes where both were animals. This surprised me, as I was originally taught that we are only and always the one species that we currently are in this lifetime throughout past and future lifetimes. I was very pleased to learn over the years that this is not true. And further, I do not believe that any species (including human) is more “evolved” than any other species in that a soul is a soul, and the form (species) that one chooses to incarnate as can and does change from lifetime to lifetime. Some souls have a preference for a particular species/body type, but I find that the animals I connect with (whether live or in spirit), are often flexible and have had various in-body experiences as a variety of species. • In your opinion, in the aspect of dogs, are there any differences that you feel, between what you do as an animal communicator and a dog behavior specialist?

• Sometimes working with animals can be such a wonderful experience, but there are sometimes the communication between you and the animal have not connected, have you ever had that type of experience and could you share that experience with us. This has happened two or three times in the twelve years I’ve been doing this professionally. I simply stopped the attempted connection and tried again later, and the connection was made. • You have stated the animals have past lives, could you share with us some of the most memorable moments that you experienced in realizing some of these animals had past lives and what their past life had been.

As an Animal Communicator I am connecting with the animal telepathically, over distance, I never physically see the animal I am working with. I am working with their thoughts-forms, emotions, physical sensations in their body, viewing how they experience their environment through their eyes, and the like. A canine behaviorist is working mostly with body language, movement and behavior. While the two ways of working with dogs are not alike, they are complementary. • What would you feel would be the best advice for someone that wanted to know more about animal communication, and maybe would like to get into this type of business? Animal communication is not something only the “gifted few” can do. If you have a love for animals, and truly want to be helpful to animals and their human companions, then my first suggestion is to read “Animal Talk” by Penelope Smith to see if you have further interest in this

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ area. If so, then read other books (there are many available these days) about animal communication. My second suggestion it to take in-person (rather than online) workshops in this topic because the in-person experience is much richer and more involved than what can be done as a teleclass. After that, practice, practice, practice. Work with as many different animals and as many different species as possible over a period of time.

If one wants to do this work professionally, then take intermediate and advanced courses as well and do not “go professional” until one has the level of confidence and the background and knowledge about animal communication as well as various species’ ways of being to feel comfortable charging fees for one’s services. I highly recommend to my students that they read as many books about animals as possible – not ficitional stories, but factual information such as who cats are as a species, what canine body language means, working with difficult or fearful dogs, understanding horses as being a prey (rather than predator) animal, and the like. The more knowledge one has, the more effective one will be as a professional Animal Communicator. • The passion you have for this is well known through your website, is there anything you wish to share with us about what is important to you within your work. It truly is my passion! I am very clear that my path and purpose here is to be in service to animals and humans, however I can best do that. It is a humbling and deeply satisfying feeling I experience when I have helped better someone’s life, helped foster a deeper understanding and/or connection between two Be-ings, conveyed messages between two Be-ings who do not speak the same language, and the like. I am very grateful to not only my animal companions over the years who have taught me so much about who animals are, and have given me unconditional love, but also to all of the animal and human clients who have been teachers in one way or another for

me as well and who have trusted me to assist them. I do not take that trust for granted.

I love what I do, and I look forward to the day that contacting and working with a professional Animal Communicator is as mainstream as being treated with chiropractic care or acupuncture. Animal Communication is another avenue, another tool, for better understanding your animal companions and assisting them with health issues, behavioral issues, etc., and talking with an animal in spirit can bring tremendous comfort to those who are grieving. There is no limit to what animal communication can be used for, and I encourage humans who are interested in this subject to read and explore it. It can open doors to so many other topics that are interesting, enlightening, and uplifting in some manner. It can be a lifechanger as well! Thank you for choosing this topic to share with your site visitors! Namaste, Kat KATALYST FOR ANIMAL WHOLENESS, INC. www.katberard.com kat@katberard.com * Photos provided by Kathleen Berard

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ In closing

Your dearly loved pet is so happy and full of life. Safe, loved and will always be with you. We do understand how difficult your loss is. We have lost many dearly loved pets throughout our lives. The younger we were, it really did not affect us that much, but the older we got, the more connection and life we had with our pet. Therefore, the loss of our pet is more difficult. This cat, dog, bird or what pet you had really was a daily part of your life. They made you laugh, they made you cry, and sometimes they amazed you. They were there to hold when you cried and they were there to hug when you were happy. The unconditional love of your pet really made the light of your soul just glow. Then all of a sudden, there is an empty pet dish, an empty cage, an empty home. When that pet was the only reason to come home to, to talk to, to share your day with is not there anymore, it is heart breaking. There are the different experiences that one goes through depending on how your loved pet passed on. Was your pet loss due to an extreme incident? Was your pet loss due to old age? If you loss was from an extreme incident, you might have felt like hating the world. You may have been full of anger and frustration, which makes closure more difficult. If your loss was from old age, you are full of emptiness and loneliness. You can communicate with your own pet everyday of your life. You can shed your tears; you can sleep with your pet’s favorite toy for months if you want to. I held on to Kassie's toy and cried for hours in our bed. It is okay to do that. When you have that moment of peace with yourself and something that was dear to your pet, you are communicating with your pet, spiritually. Your pet picks up and inherits your personally, routines and traits. They actually teach you, when they need to go outside or they want a treat, a nap or even when it is time to eat. They also know when you are sad, happy, angry, and even relaxed. Bree has trained us very well. She knows when she gets her nails clipped she gets a special treat, and she will keep nudging me until she gets it. It is all about the bond you build together with your pet.

Where you lay your pet when they do pass on has a balance to your closure. You may have chosen a pet cemetery, a special burial place or have your pet cremated so you can scatter their ashes or keep the ashes in an urn. We decided to have Kassie in a beautiful silver urn, with pictures of her and her favorite toy on the mantle. That way she is always with us and we see her every day. It was and has been an easier closure for me. Your own communication with your pet. The relationship and bond you have with your pet is an easy way to communicate. As I stated before, you both know how each other works. The routine that you build together, it is all about you and your pet. You know every detail, every gesture from them as well as your pet knows about you. How others can read that, I am not sure. I know that I could not communicate with someone else’s dog, nor can I put my hands on Bree’s head and tell you what she is thinking. Could I possibly notice your body language and emotions when I am in the same room with you and your pet? I might be able to tell you how your relationship with your pet is and how your pet feels about you, maybe just from the interaction. When people come over our house, Bree is so happy. She gives hugs and kisses, and she is just a happy dog. When I come home, Bree is there, but she waits until I put my purse up or whatever I have in my hands away, and then she HAS to give me a hug and kiss. Then she is happy. On the other hand when my husband gets home from work, she pretty much stays in my office, gradually comes out to say hi to Daddy. Bree has a stronger bond with me then my husband. She has to know where I am all the time and follows me all the time, as well as checks in on me. Bree has a certain bonding relationship with me and a certain bonding relationship with her Daddy. She knows once we get relaxed and watching TV, it is bonding time with Daddy, and when we go to bed, it is playtime for fifteen minutes or so with him. That is their bonding time. You are the only one that knows everything about your pet, its character, humor, personality, and so forth. You know what your pet loved to do and what your pet was frighten of. Your pet also knows your voice, from the tone of your voice of being excited, disciplined to loving. Using your own voice may be heard by your pet’s spirit, but in fact, it helps you heal within your own spirit.

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ There is nothing wrong for you to talk to your pet whether you have your pet still with you or at a cemetery or your pet is just in spirit. Saying you love them, saying you miss them and wishing them a wonderful yard to play in, playing with other pets or what have you. The key is remembering those great moments together. The bond you and your pet have had is the most precious relationship between you and your pet. There is nothing wrong to just close your eyes and remember all the precious moments you shared. Where they are now, to comfort you, they are happy; they are young, unharmed, and healthy. You will never lose that connection or communication with your pet. Even if there are days that go by that sometimes you fade a memory away about your pet, does not in any way mean you do not love them or have forgotten about them. This means you are healing. Acceptance of your loss is just as important to closure. What you can say is this: (Petâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Name), I know that you have passed on; I accept the life fact that you are now in a better place; where you feel no pain, feel no sorrow. You are free to roam where you please, free to jump as high as you can. You will always be a part of me forever. My love, my light, and my soul will always be by your side. I love you. Knowing that they are safe is also important. They are. The relationship you had built with your pet insures that. Regardless of what others say, including me, you have to understand your communication, relationship, and bond with your pet. You give love then you will receive love. You give trust, and in turn, you will receive trust. The internet and your veterinarian is a powerful tool to help you understand your relationship with your pet. If you need some type of help in dealing with the loss of your pet, first you might want to check out ASPCA, http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/pet-loss/ ~alice

Voices to Visions August 2011

Hummingbird totem __________________________________________________________________ Love and Happiness

Hummingbird @ GrandFather Mountain, North Carolina Photo by Alice Mary Herden

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ Haunted by Half a Dog

the animal and rear legs was missing! It vanished as it retreated away from me. We did not tell my wife but, she saw the half a dog herself. It was perhaps six months later when a young man knocked on the door one Saturday. My wife was home alone. He told her he had lived in the house for several years some time back. My wife asked him if he had a dog-he said yes. He had a dog but it had run outside, into the street and was run over by a truck. The animal had its back and rear legs were crushed. Maybe that was why only half of the Animal was seen. After the visit of the young man, the phantom dog was not seen again.

Richard Senate By Richard Senate When my wife and I were first married, we moved into an old two bedroom 1929 cottage. It was not the best place, in fact my wife called it a dump when were moved in, but she cleaned the hardwood floors and made it a home. We planned to stay a year until we could find and afford something better. We stayed three years in the house. It was located right next to a busy road with a bus stop so it was always noisy, one of the reasons for the low rent. I guess we were not in the place a month when I noticed that I would hear a unique sound. It was as if a dog was running around the house and its claws were sounding on the wooden floors. I checked think a neighbor's dog had gotten in--but the door was secured and there was no cause for the odd sounds. My stepson also heard this; he was four at the time. He saw the thing first--He told us about the "big doggy" in the house. Again, we found nothing in our house and chalked it up to his over imagination. Then, I saw it. I was going to work and when I left the back bedroom and looked down the hall I saw a large dog, it was a mix breed animal. I saw it looking at me. I saw its head and forefeet but the wall obscured the rest. It looked real and once again, I thought it was one of the neighbors dogs had gotten in. It turned, sort of backed away. I checked the house, front door and back, both were locked. I checked every room. My stepson also saw it not long after that. Perhaps a month passed until I was washing the dishes and saw the same animal in the kitchen. This time I saw the whole beast, and it was half a dog. The front part was normal, head, chest, and front legs, but the back of

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Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ Encounters

Spirits of Animals

The Animal Totems Dictionary the dog represents friendship and the unconditional ability to love and accept.

Animism was first introduced by the German scientist, Georg Ernst Stahl in 1720, later in the English language in 1819. Animism is the belief that all natural objects other than human have souls. After you have loss your best friend, could it be possible to experience their spirit? It would be fascinating to actually witness if Kassie was indeed a spirit roaming around our house and keeping Bree company while we are away from the house. A couple of years ago, when Don and I were part of a paranormal team, we conducted an investigation at our home. There is one video shot that was reordered, and it looked like a dog walking behind the chair, the tail of the dog. My first assumption was, could that of been Kassie? Was she actually captured on video? There have been some, let us say, conversation over if animals do have souls or even can be spirits after they have passed. Regardless, if this animal is a wild boar to a family pet, it does have a soul. If an animal breathes, it has a spirit. People have encountered spirits of animals, which you can read about here: http://paranormal.about.com/cs/trueghoststories/a/aa11 1703.htm Civil War week aired on The History Channel, to me that was so heartbreaking, knowing how many people have died. How many are souls still acting out the role of being a soldier, how many souls are still wandering around wounded? More so, how many horses are still grazing in the field? Those horses suffered just as much as the men that fought in that war. Those horses were the shields of the Lieutenants, Majors, and Generals. Some survived those long battles to die at an old age, even walked behind their ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hearse during their funeral. Animal spirits all have meanings different from oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s belief. You have Wicca, Mythology, Shamanism, and so forth. When you encounter a spirit of a certain animal, they have their meanings. Say you actually saw a spirit of a dog, not your own dog that passed on, but another dog.

I always considered that Vultures were the soul keepers. Regardless if these animals died along side of the road or the remissness of flesh and bone from the feeding of a pride. The spirit and soul is still there of what is left of that animal. Can you consider vultures caring the souls of the animal that died to the heavens? History The earliest known history of dog in warfare was back in 628 BC where the Lydian has deployed a second battalion of fighting dogs. Then throughout the years, dogs were being used to carry bombs, known as the Anti-tank dog. As a dog lover myself, this deeply upsets me reading about this. My eyes filled with tears, because this made me so sad. I just do not want to envision those poor animals that knew nothing about fear or hate. I just cannot imagine overwhelming loss of life for not only dogs, but also horses, pigs, donkeys and even bats. Now, and thank God, things have changed, or at least I hope they have.

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ Currently, does the spirit of dogs from the war still roam the grounds? Are they still by the side of their partners that passed on in the line of duty? They probably do. I just hope and pray they are running free and playing happily with others. I have never experienced any spirits that were of animals. I do know that if I did see Kassie, I would most likely cry for hours, and telling her how sorry I was, and how much I loved her. I know she loved playing on her big ball. She would lie on top of the ball and chase her tail. She was a character. I might just one day, buy a big ball and leave it in the living room to see if she will come and play.

Illustrations by Alice Mary Herden

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Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ http://nli.northampton.ac.uk/ass/psychstaff/sjs/blackdog.htm Famous Folklore

Black Dogs Dogs have many variables in Mythology and Folklore. Some are good and of course, some are bad omens. According to Theo Brown, she states that there are three characteristics of black dogs. 1: an impersonal creature, which is distributed over certain areas. Changes its shape, as a black dog does not 2: Just a black dog, nothing else. Associated with a place or road, sometimes associated with a person or a family and that of witches. 3: Black dog that is in conjunction of a calendar cycle.

Black Shuck, Hell Hounds, Snarly Yow, and the list goes on in folklore of dogs that are more or less hairy, black coat, furry and with those red glowing eyes. The Black Shuck is known in Viking Legend, which is based on a huge dog of war, Odin and Thor â&#x20AC;&#x153;Shurik.â&#x20AC;? The appearance of the Black Shuck have been told to be described as having flaming eyes of red or green, black as night and the dog size is ranged from a normal size dog to the size of a horse. The dog could be seen headless to floating like a mist. Legend says when the Black Shuck has appeared to you, it is a bad omen. The dog will place ill upon you or scare you, then leave you alone to continue your life. The Black Shuck roams graveyards, side roads, crossroads, and even dark forests. Mythology states these dogs haunt leylines of side roads as in Folklore, they places and roads located on leylines to watch over spirits who travel from graveyard to graveyard. Black Dog Associated in Britain, the Black Dog is more of a misty appearance, and often associated with locations that have had violent crimes.

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ I read as many books and websites as I could! The folklore is fascinating right from the 16th century to the present day. • What sparked your interest for you to write about the Black Shuck? I first heard about Black Shuck about twenty years ago and the legend immediately grabbed me. At first, I developed the idea for a film but eventually I thought it should be a book. The idea never left me, I always felt I could not leave it undone, so a few years ago I started writing it in earnest. To finally have it coming out in paperback for this Halloween (2011) is fantastic – the end of a long dream. I still think it would make a fantastic feature film too – and hope that will follow! • Your book, Black Shuck-Devil’s Dog, can you share with our readers about this book.

Interview with Piers Warren • Mr. Warren, share with our readers a little bit about you. I am a wildlife film-maker and author living in rural Norfolk. I have had many adventures all over the world but my favorite place is the North Norfolk coast, where I spend my time capturing the flora and fauna on film … and looking for paw prints in the sand. • There have been so many sightings and reports of the Black Shuck dating back to the late 1500’s, was there any report of a sighting that made you think that the Black Shuck just might have been a stray dog and one report that just might prove this Folklore legend is true? I am sure many sightings were just stray dogs. I myself have had many encounters with lone dogs on the coastal paths, some of which have been very strange. I am sure many of these were just strays as well ... But not all. But a stray dog is not Black Shuck – and many other sightings have been the real Shuck. The encounter at Blythburgh in 1577 for example. • Granted that the Black Shuck is considered Folklore, how much research have you conducted in order to write your book?

Black Shuck: The Devil’s Dog, is a contemporary thriller but weaves in some back-story to explain Black Shuck’s beginnings. The main character is wildlife film-maker Harry Lambert (guess who he is based on!). Here is the blurb: For centuries, Black Shuck has patrolled the coastal paths of Norfolk – a spectral portent of death. But now the phantom dog is evolving into something altogether more horrifying. Gaining strength and powers by the day, Shuck has developed a gruesome appetite – a hunger he sets out to satiate ... Wildlife film-maker Harry Lambert needs a serious rest. His best friend is dead, his wife has left him and his career is on the rocks. A spot of bird-watching on the Norfolk coast should help ... but when Harry stumbles into Black Shuck's territory, the hellhound finds the victim it was hunting for ... • There are different Folklore names that characterize Black Dogs, throughout the world, some of those are good, and of course, some of them are aggressive. Is there an intriguing characteristic about the Black Shuck that draws to you? It is a great name and has several possible origins. One of these is the Norfolk word for shaggy: Shucky!

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• Your book, Black Shuck-Devil’s Dog, knowing that this is a thriller, what would you want your reader to take with them after they have read your book. As it is a thriller, my main hope is that they are gripped and thrilled to the end! But in addition, there is a very strong sense of the area where most of the action is set – the North Norfolk Coast from Morston, through Blakeney and Cley to Salthouse. Anyone who has been to these places will have much to remember. Plus also I hope it gets across how folklore is not all about the past – it is being created today.

Thank you Mr. Warren for taking time out to be featured in our magazine. ~alice http://www.black-shuck.co.uk/

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________

September Issue Fairies, Goblins, Spirits, Elves

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ Famous Places

whom were now barefooted) to get shoes in nearby Gettysburg. A.P. Hill was aware that what awaited his devoted men in Gettysburg were not shoes, but rather a large contingent of Union troops that would engage them on arrival.

Cashtown Inn, a Historical Haunt by Karen Bashak The Inn was built between 1796 and 1797 as the next stagecoach depot, on heavily traveled Route 30, just 8 miles west of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. At a time when most businesses operated on a credit or barter system as a means of payment for lodging, toll fees, and merchandise the owner of this Inn accepted only cash. A small town sprang up around the Inn and to distinguish it from the other stops along the way, which did not require cash on the barrelhead, the town came to be known as Cashtown; and the Inn, of course, became the Cashtown Inn. In 1863, the Cashtown Inn became inextricably linked to Gettysburg and the tragedies of the infamous Civil War battle. Several days before the Battle of Gettysburg commenced, General Robert E. Lee sent his subordinate General A.P. Hill and the regiments under his command to set up a headquarters at the popular Cashtown Inn while Lee himself made final plans for a major offensive in the area. General Lee was in the process of organizing the massive movement of troops to the Gettysburg area, where he planned to overwhelm the Union soldiers known to be there. Unfortunately, the majority of the troops Lee planned to deploy in the battle had not yet arrived when General Hill made an ill-advised rash decision. General Hill made what would later be a highly criticized choice at this pivotal moment in history. He did not wait for the reinforcements Robert E. Lee had dispatched to arrive. Instead, Hill sent the armies under his command (most of

* Portrait of General Lee- Wikipedia In this first wave of the battle, when neither side had their full complement of troops, nearly all were maimed or slaughtered. As reinforcements arrived for both sides, the battle raged on, eventually involving an estimated quarter of a million soldiers. As casualties mounted and it became apparent that most too badly wounded to accompany their respective armies in a strategic retreat local homes, churches and inns pressed to serve as hospitals. The Cashtown Innâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basement became a surgery and the remainder of the rooms used to house the wounded and dying. The road in front of the Inn became littered with piles of human arms and legs that were hastily amputated and tossed from the windows of the makeshift surgery. The road ran red with blood.

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ they hear footsteps coming from rooms and attic spaces above them that are unoccupied. Guests tell stories of being startled by the sounds of teams of horses outside the building when there are no horses in the area. Still others describe the creepy sensation of being awakened by an invisible entity sitting on the edge of the bed and being touched or watched by this “ghost.” Many of the experiences are localized in the A.P. Hill Room where often an unoccupied rocking chair rocks on its own and an untouched picture frame has been filmed while spinning around and around. Unrelated individuals independently relate very similar encounters with the spectral apparitions of Confederate soldiers and a woman in an antebellum style dress. These apparitions have been seen in the tavern, the stairways, the corridors, and every guest room of the Inn. The current owners of the Cashtown Inn, Jack and Maria Paladino, claim to be just as if everybody else intrigued and mystified. Maria Paladino believes there is paranormal activity going on, yet her husband, Jack, does not know whether to believe it or not.

* Portrait of A.P, Hill- Wikipedia After the War, it was back to brisk business as usual at the Cashtown Inn until around 1948 when a highway spur was constructed to bypass Cashtown. Business at the Inn dropped off dramatically and the Inn fell into disrepair as funds for maintenance became increasingly scarce. In 1987 Charles and Carol Buckley, who immediately launched a renovation of this historic site, purchased the Inn. The Cashtown Inn was reinvented as a Bed And Breakfast with all guest rooms named for Confederate Officers. The Inn that had “enjoyed” the reputation of being haunted ever since Civil War times experienced a resurgence of paranormal phenomena and ghostly sightings during the building restoration and it continues to this day. The reports of supernatural events run the gamut from garbled EVP’s to actual photos and apparitions of people, many clad in Confederate uniforms. Employees and visitors to the Inn report instances where air conditioners and TVs are randomly turned on and off by unseen hands;

There are possible natural explanations for some of the experiences. There are also theories explaining how some events could be part of a hoax. While it might be tempting for an innkeeper to increase occupancy and revenues by advertising that their hotel is haunted and even to go so far as to give the supernatural a little human assistance, who knows? To date, however, despite investigation there is no absolute irrefutable proof for either believers or skeptics to hang their hats on. http://www.cashtowninn.com/index.html Cashtown Inn Building Photos-Wikipedia

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ Place your poster ads within our magazine! Become a sponsor for 2012! We have three sponsors for our 2012 year; our goal is to have ten sponsors. With ten sponsors, your donation will only be $18.40 for the year. Your poster ad will run randomly throughout the 2012 year. Full page or half page ad, depending on our magazine layout, will be featured in our magazine For more information, email us at: Editor@voicestovisions.com

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ 101- Dictionary

• Primary Totems: active throughout life

Animal Spirit Totems

* Photo left: Totem poles in front of homes in Alert Bay, British Columbia (Wikipedia)

History • During the 1800s, European explorers discovered these amazing carved cedar posts along the Northwest Coast in North America. The theory of these totems where that of funerary containers to memorial markers. • The actual meaning of the totems varies from culture to culture, not until the idea of idol worshiping came from Christian missionaries. That idea was not true. Totems were carved to tell a personal story, whether it be from a historic moment to public ridicule. Most of the totems were left to rot when the tribes more to another village. • Totem means clan or a group of people. Totems supported more of a group of people rather than an individual. Later through modern times, some individuals adopted a personal animal spirit as a helper that individuals could connect to. • Totemism derived from the Ojibwe language, is a religious belief associated with Shamanistic religions. Types of animal totems • The Life Long Animal Totem: Works with your throughout your entire life. • Journey Animal Totem: reflects a period of time.

• Native North American tribes might have had traditions that one of the nine different animals throughout their life, both physical and spiritual, accompanied each person: Bear, Butterfly, Coyote, Eagle, Hawk, Horse, Snake, Spider, Wolf.

• Message Animal Totem: Brings spiritual message or a cautious warning. • Shadow Animal Totem: Tests in life. Types of totems • Totem Protectors: Individual protection (wolf, tiger, bear or dolphin or elk) • Healer, Teacher, Leadership Totems: healing work, (Bear) teaching (Wolf), leadership (Cougar) • Relationship Totems: Family or spouse (wolf or goose) •Transformation Totems: changes in life (bats, owls, snakes, or butterflies)

* Totem Photo: Wikipedia * Snake Photo by Alice Mary Herden

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ Every living soul has some type of mythical meaning... there is so much information about Spirit Totems the best way to explain to you what they are is to lead you to some great websites. The best place I have found on the internet during my research is these places: http://www.starstuffs.com/animal_totems/index.html http://www.spiritualnetwork.net/totems/ http://www.suite101.com/content/types-of-animaltotems-a329186 http://www.suite101.com/content/types-of-totemsa99791 http://www.reference.com/browse/totem+pole

Family Totems Cards I have created The Raven meaning courage, self-knowledge, and magic The Whale meaning wisdom, provider, and kindness The Dragonfly meaning strong imagination and higher aspirations

The Bear meaning healing, power and great strength The Beaver meaning determined, strong-willed and protector

You can purchase my postcards here: http://www.zazzle.com/ladykassie

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ While on my searching hours and weeks of research, I stumbled across a wonderful website about Spirit totems, artistically creative. Her name is Pia.

expressed an interest in what I was doing, so I decided to do it more. â&#x20AC;˘ Within your website, you have articles about basic introduction to animal energies to how to communicate with your own animal spirit guide. How important is this to you knowing the energies and knowledge about animal totems for your paintings?

Interview with Pia â&#x20AC;˘ Pia, thank you for taking time out to be featured in our magazine, can you share a little bit about yourself with our readers. I am 29, and I live in Perth, Western Australia. I actually live just on the outer edges of suburbia, where I still regularly see wild kangaroos and emus, and get to enjoy a great deal of native flora and fauna, much of which is unique to this small corner of the world. When I'm not working as an artist, I'm working on healing from PostTraumatic Stress Disorder, bushwalking, writing, playing with my cats, studying mass media, cooking up a storm, maintaining my website or practicing shamanism. I do a lot of other things too, I probably have too many interests and hobbies! â&#x20AC;˘ Can you share with us how your interest in painting animal totems came about? I was drawing symbolic illustrations of dancing brolgas of animals from a young age. I had members of my family who practiced paganism and shamanism, and some still do, so this was part of my upbringing. I rediscovered symbolic animal illustration when I was 18. I discovered I had a neck tumor (a carotid body paraganglioma) that could be lethal if it was not removed. I needed something to keep my thoughts occupied at university, and I would take a sketchpad and some fine liners and illustrate totems to connect with an energy outside of myself. People

I would not draw animal totems if I was not connected to their energies or did not believe in animal totems. I would be illustrating botanic samples in some museum, I think! As that is where my art career started to head before I drew animal totems. I have sacrificed the amount of time I can spend doing alternative forms of artistic expression to do justice to the totem energies around me. Therefore, I guess you could say it's integral for me to connect with the energy of an animal, in order to illustrate the animal as a totem. I mean, anyone can draw an animal symbolically; the basic requirements are stylization and repetition of form and shape pretty much. But it is in the evocation of the animal energy, in letting the animal totem 'choose' what shapes and colors it wants, that an animal totem illustration takes shape.

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ • Every living creature has a spirit, is there any one creature’s spirit you personally connect with? In terms of individual animals as opposed to collective animal totems, I have connected with many animals in my entire lifetimes. Animals I have helped to rehabilitate, birds I have rescued, cats and dogs that I have shared my life with, horses I have ridden. As for totems, my personal totem is the Australian raven, of which I am fortunate enough to see everywhere! I also feel very connected to snail, wolverine, shoebill stork, olm, Himalayan monal, western brush wallaby, red kangaroo, and emu. I could go on; the problem and gift of working with so many animal totems (I have drawn over 450 different species of animal over the years) is that one finds personal connections more commonly than someone doing the occasional meditation. 10 years of illustrating totems and a lifetime of being fascinated with animal stories and lore, and it kind of adds up! • If someone wanted to find out who their animal spirit is, what would be your first suggestion to that person who wanted to connect with their own animal spirit?

I would go with the obvious things first - what is the animal you love the most? What is the animal you hate? People often do not realize this, but the animals they irrationally loathe or dislike, are often very significant animal spirits in their lives. And the other thing I would go with is to ask people what animals they observe most frequently around them, because it is important to look locally at surrounding ecosystems. If someone is always seeing, a certain animal there is possibly a spiritual connection there. For some people, it may be the animal they must see at the zoo. For others, it might not be obvious at all, even after repeated meditations and visualizations. People with very elusive, rare animal spirits, often find that they have to wait until the animal spirit contacts them. It is not something that can be forced. Some animal totems have a loud voice, and some do not speak and work as invisible influences. Basically, there is not one right way to identify an animal spirit, and there's nothing wrong if you try and look and don't find one. • For the last three of four weeks, I have noticed that there are two crows in the vacant lot next door, just seemed kind of weird for them to hang around, also I saw a black feather against the fence one day, I saw it clearly, but when I walked up to it, it was a leaf. Could this have been an animal spirit that I have been experiences, please share your thoughts on this. I do not like to pass judgment on other people's experiences, because it is easy to do, but not always helpful! Unless I am being 'asked' to speak for crow, it is probably not my place to interpret the experience. My first recommendation would be to look up meditations or visualizations that allow you to contact the energy of crow, and ask him/her directly. This also allows you to also start up a dialogue, which can be used again for crow or for other animals over time. I think it is an empowering direction to take, and also, it means that people are not put in the position of judging other people's very personal, spiritual experiences.

• In last words, what would you like people to know about your paintings and what would you want to bring to people attention through your paintings? I think my paintings are strong enough to speak for themselves, though there is always room for

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ improvement! I like people to know that my illustrations can be used as more than just decoration. They can be used as tools in active meditation, to evoke the totem energy into someone's living space, as an anchor point for people who do spiritual shape shifting in meditation. They are multi-purposed, and designed to break down the barriers that words sometimes cannot. I love how universal art and images are in communicating not only the mundane, but also the profound. Thank you ~alice

http://www.wildspeak.com/totems.html

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ Work Shop

Animal Spirit Guides By Cheryl Smeed I believe that everyone has one or more power animals animal spirits that walk with us - who lend their power and protection from negativity and providing guidance, much like a guardian angel. Working with animal energies, either directly or through imagery and symbolism, serves to bring us in touch with our own animal natures - an aspect of ourselves which is so often repressed. Native Americans revered animals as sacred guides, guardians and protectors. The book and movie, The Golden Compass, illustrates so beautifully that every human has a visible version of the soul that takes on an animal form.

Do you collect animal figurines? Are you entranced with dolphins? Do you love dogs? Cats? Big cats for their speed and grace? Domestic cats for their companionship or selfactualization? Do you honor the elephant or the wolf for their power and wisdom? Do you draw pictures of horses? What animal do you feel is most like you? If you could be an animal, what would you most want to be? What would you least want to be? Are there animals you dream about regularly?

When we discover the animals which most strongly call to us we discover important elements of ourselves. The great power and influence of each animal guide lends you the wisdom of its kind. Animals guide and teach us. Each animal is thought to have a “medicine” which can heal, soothe, educate, strengthen, and protect. Think about animals to which you have always been attracted and remember that “animal” includes birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and insects. Do not be surprised if you find that your animal guide is a spider or bumble bee. Each animal has a message and something to tell us at the moment we happen to need their knowledge and information.

Animals to which you are attracted are very likely part of your animal totem. These are the animals that affect your life in ways you can only begin to imagine! The cat is one of the most popular, and certainly one of the most accessible power animals. Several years ago, I set up a small pyramid on my living room floor. My cat, Tiffany, showed immediate interest in it. Although she was too large to fulfill her obvious desire to sit inside it she marked it as hers by rubbing against it, and sat as close to it as possible. That night I programmed a large citrine for prosperity and put it inside the pyramid. The next morning I discovered that Tiffany had put her toy mouse next to the stone. Later that day I found two feathers on the other side of the stone. I don't know whether Tiffany wanted to charge up the energy of her favorite toys, if she was assisting me in materializing abundance, or performing a ritual beyond my limited human comprehension, but her actions reminded me that the world of spirit is as much a part of the normal reality of animals' lives as it is ours.

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ How do you find your animal guide? Before you go to sleep each night, ask your animal guide to appear to you in the dream state. Make the same request while in meditation. Be aware of the animals you see throughout the course of your day. One morning I opened my balcony door to see a beautiful red fox watching me from the ground covered with new fallen snow. We stared at each other for what seemed like several minutes before he ran off. So what was the fox's message? Perhaps I needed to be more patient and cunning in my business dealings that day. Animal energies are not limited to those that have specifically called to you. Any animal may be called upon when you are in need. Look at books containing pictures of various animals and see whether any of them stir feelings within you. My favorite book is Animal-Speak: The Spiritual & Magical Power of Creatures Great & Small, by Ted Andrews, my favorite author and good friend. Unfortunately, Ted left this earthly plane to join his animal spirit guides in the ethereal realm, but his legacy lives on. His award-winning books and Tarot cards on animal guides, animal spirits, animal wisdom, and animal communication are truly the best of their genre. They will help you to find out more about you, your own animal guides, and the parts they play in your life.

out of the corner of your eye from time to time. Just know that your beloved pet is with you! More of us are awakening to the idea that our bodies, minds, and spirits are one; this is a principal theme of alternative and vibrational healing. In the same sense, the physical world merges with a world of spirit, one whose powers and gifts are available to us once we open ourselves to it. One way to make the world of spirit part of our normal reality is to create and deepen our connection to the animals. Many cultures believe that animals can bring us messages from the spiritual plane and can guide us during our explorations in that dimension, and simply to open ourselves to the energies of a different kind of being expands the dimensions of consciousness. As we open ourselves to a deepened awareness of animals, we become better able to appreciate how the physical and spiritual worlds are one. Spirit has never gifted me with a more profound vision than the sight of a young fawn emerging from the shadows of the forest into my back yard, or that of a wild turkey carefully guiding her tiny chicks through the tall grass. Such scenes remind me to be grateful that I, like the animals, am a spiritual being enjoying my human experience!

Another popular book and card deck that I like is Medicine Cards: The Discovery of Power Through the Ways of Animals, by Jamie Sams and David Carson. You can arbitrarily choose animal cards from the deck and learn what they have to tell you. Alternatively, you may choose power animals from the deck based on qualities you would like to have in your life. The book and deck, The Druid Animal Oracle, by Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, has a chart listing the particular gifts of animals of the Celtic tradition. Certain animals relate to healing; some relate to protection; others relate to personal power. You can choose your animals according to whatever you wish to accomplish. You may find as you grow and evolve that your power animals change. It is unlikely that you will have the same animal guides throughout your entire life, but you will either know or have a good idea which animals are with you at any given time. You may have loved a pet who has passed on and yet you keep catching glimpses of that pet

* Illustrations by Alice Mary Herden

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ Paranormal Team of the Month

room with no light source or object to cast the shadow. I have had what appeared to be a small stone thrown at me or in my direction while sitting in a basement. Some of my most memorable are the appearance of very distinct smells such as lilac perfume and cherry pipe smoke that linger for just a moment then vanish. â&#x20AC;˘ Your locations that you have investigated, which of those were the most conclusive to collect paranormal evidence and which was not?

Pennsylvania Paranormal Association â&#x20AC;˘ Mark, can you share with our readers about yourself and what interested you to form your own paranormal group? My name is Mark Keyes. I am a 17-year State Police veteran and Criminal Investigator from Pennsylvania. I have always been interested in the paranormal and supernatural which prompted me to start reading about anything related to those topics when I was in my teens. When I was in my 30's, I joined a local paranormal research group with my wife Lauren. I found that the only way to know if all this ghost stuff was for real was to get out there and see for myself. After spending some time with that team, Lauren and I decided to found The PPA in order to conduct more in-depth investigations and put a team of resources together to help bring resolution to people asking for assistance in dealing with the activity they were experiencing. â&#x20AC;˘ Can you share with us personal experiences dealing with paranormal phenomenon? Throughout my years as a paranormal investigator, I have documented many many types of electronic voice phenomena. This seems to be the largest amount of evidence we collect. When it comes to actual, on the spot personal experiences, I have had the honor of seeing quarters being thrown across a room, doors opening and closing right in front of me and hearing voices with no person present. I have watched shadows move across a

One of the most conclusive places we have investigated that we were able to document paranormal activity is a home in Upper Darby, PA just outside of Philadelphia. While at this home, The PPA had one personal experience after another, much of which was captured by audio or video. We were able to document footsteps climbing a staircase and a tremendous amount of noise, all without anyone being in the house at the time. We observed and recorded a quarter being thrown across a room, a bedroom door opening and closing, a shadow appearing out of nowhere and darting across a bedroom room with no one present. We had our K9 Ben chase something to a point where he ran straight into a wall. Upon a return trip to this home, we again observed and documented a quarter falling out of thin air on two separate occasions in the same spot within feet of investigators. We observed a quarter being tossed across a room into a wall in a finished attic room. We witnessed a bedroom door open and close right in front of us as well as other things. We still do not know the significance of the quarters at that house. In many other investigations, we have done commercial and private dwellings with no evidence found at all. It is not an easy thing to document activity but just because we do not collect, evidence at a particular location does not mean the place is haunted or not haunted. We classify those cases as undetermined unless we were able to rule out a haunting with evidence for natural causes and against a haunting. You really need to be in the right spot at the right time with the equipment pointed in the right direction to document activity. Sometimes it takes many return trips to be able to definitively identify a place as haunted or not. Being that clients report activity scattered throughout time and honestly admitting it is not every day all day long, you never know when the activity will occur or even if you will have a willing participant. We consider ourselves lucky when we can gather enough evidence on a case to

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ determine a haunting is occurring. It sometimes takes months or even years to be able to make a final determination on a case based on evidence. • With your extensive experience with paranormal investigations, how do you determine the types of, if so, hauntings these locations have? The PPA takes a comprehensive investigative approach on our cases. Even though we conduct a full "scientific" investigation, we also use a psychic medium as another resource for information. What we look for at each case is whether something will interact with our members, what kinds of experiences the clients are reporting, what type of

which would be either a physical haunting or a residual haunting as mentioned above where multiple clients share the same experiences or into what we call, a "psychic haunting.” This is when usually only one person in a family notices the activity or in some cases, two or three people may notice some activity but it does not cause any physical moment or manipulation in the space. It is more of a perceived experience where the observer can see the spirit, maybe hear the spirit, notice its emotions or even feel like they are a target of the spirit or just feel like they are not alone or like they are being watched. In these cases, three or four families may have lived in this home with absolutely no reports of activity. When the current resident moves in, they start noticing things. Why? They may be sensitive to this energy and never really knew they were open to some degree. They moved into a home or workspace and all of a sudden, they have experiences. We believe that in their past places of residency, it is possible that no spirits occupied that space so nothing was experienced. They move into a home or business that has spirits occupying that same space but on a level that the average person would never even know. The sensitive person perceives it, not knowing they are somewhat open on a psychic level and to them, it appears that the place is haunted. In a sense it is, but only on a psychic level. The energies may be far too high a vibration for the average person to notice or for any physical interaction to take place so we call it a "psychic haunting.” • In your opinion, how much has the media changed the true essence of paranormal investigating?

evidence we are able to collect and historical information about the property and people. If we can determine that something is able to interact with us and there are physical things happening at the location, we can assume that we have an actual interactive, conscious spirit present. We also refer to our psychic medium, Virginia to get her perspective on whether she feels something is interacting with her or just present in a residual sense. Many times the clients report only hearing things such as voices or distinct sounds like footsteps. They may see an apparition move through their space with no attention paid to the living. This would be indicative of a "residual haunting.” We further break hauntings down to a "classical haunting"

I think the media has helped the field of paranormal investigating in a big way. Not only is it becoming much more common to hear people talking about hauntings and ghosts but it is much more widely accepted. The fear of being chastised for thinking your house is haunted is dwindling and more people are calling for help. With the recent programs running on TV, radio and in print, it is also bringing a much more scientific edge to the field. Teams are looking for better ways to document activity and looking to science for help. Psychic Mediums can be an invaluable resource but when paired up with physical documentation to back them up, that is a great combination.

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ On the downside, there are so many programs out there that the viewing audience gets a general idea of how to use some of the equipment so they start using it at home themselves. Many times, they find questionable evidence or evidence that is just not tied to a paranormal cause and think they have a haunting at their home but really just did not do the proper review of the evidence or put controls in place to be able to add validity to the things they were finding. It is becoming a common practice for people who later become our clients to start doing their own "ghost hunting" or evp sessions in their home. The problem with that practice is that with repeated evp work in the same spot, a person is inviting different energies to come into their house. They are creating a forum for spirits to come and talk. It is no different than using a Ouija Board and you pull in the good with the bad. â&#x20AC;˘ Since this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s issue is about Animals, let us talk about dogs as paranormal investigators. Tell us about your members Hawk (K-9 handler) and Ben.

Joe Hawk or Hawk as he is known by all his friends, started working with Ben as a Police K9 team in Maryland. They are currently working with The PPA and have even been featured with The PPA on Animal Planet's The Haunted. Ben was born in Czechoslovakia and brought to the United States. He even has a passport. Ben is a jet black, Czech Sheppard much like a German Sheppard. He is very devastating looking in the dark and very hard to see. Ben is as gentle as a lamb but when put into police mode, watch out! He fearlessly protects Hawk and the entire team. Ben was injured in the line of duty several years ago and had to be retired from police work in Maryland when that occurred. To Hawk's benefit, he was able to adopt Ben as his own and is now a part of his family. Hawk has since moved back to Pennsylvania and has brought Ben back to full duty status. The PPA has the privilege and the honor to work with Hawk and Ben. They are two of the most unique investigators you will ever find. When Hawk approached me to join the group, it was a no brainer. Hawk had been previously involved with paranormal research and was well experienced at investigating. A couple of years ago while working a case; we were talking about how sensitive animals are to energies that humans cannot perceive. The idea was then born to try Ben on a few cases and see how he did. He was the perfect candidate for the job since he was a working dog with years of experience in the field. We wanted to see what would happen when we introduced Ben to locations with activity. We were not disappointed for sure. Because of Hawk and Ben, many other teams, including some very well known teams have taken notice and are beginning to use dogs as another investigative resource. â&#x20AC;˘ What are your opinions and thoughts about using dogs as paranormal investigators? I cannot say enough about using dogs as another resource for paranormal investigators but it has to be the right dog. The key is to have a well-trained, well-behaved dog. The PPA was fortunate enough to have Joe Hawk as an active investigator who was also a K9 Police Officer. Hawk's K9, Ben is a very well trained and experienced Police Dog. Because of this, Ben is used to going into strange homes or buildings expecting to work. He is never unsure of his surroundings much like you would find in a normal house pet when you take it into a new location.

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ Ben is at the ready and eager to work no matter where we take him. Because Hawk has worked in the field with Ben, he has grown over time to know how Ben acts and reacts in certain situations. That was a natural baseline that we could work from to establish behavioral patterns that The PPA could monitor. Once a dog handler can establish normal behavior for their dog in unfamiliar settings and a baseline created, indicators for changes in the dog’s behavior can be monitored. Does the dog go from a neutral, resting position to alert? From panting to quiet and attent? From neutral to aggressive? These are just a few of the indicators we look for along with some physiological responses.

be recorded to back up the dogs’ response. I would recommend to anyone willing to put a lot of time into working with a dog to properly develop him for this type of work to use one. The results are often worth the effort. • I have considered using Bree, our female mix, on some locations we explore; can you share with us about training your dog to become a paranormal investigator? We were lucky to have a well-trained and wellexperienced police K9 to start with. Because Ben works with purpose, Hawk knows how he acts and reacts in different situations. Ben is trained to give indicators for different things he encounters. So we look for those indicators as if he was reacting to a live person but obviously, no live person is present. We also watch for changes in Ben's disposition, demeanor, and physiology. The hardest part in training a dog to do this work is getting them used to being in strange locations and understanding how they react normally so you can watch for changes based on that behavior. Dogs can also be trained to indicate when they feel high areas of magnetic fields among many other things. It takes a lot of patience and a lot of practice to get the full potential out of an investigative dog. • I do have certain uneasiness about using Bree, mainly is for her safety as well as her emotional wellbeing. If any, would this be a concern for others and how would you protect them from things we cannot see?

Dogs are believed to be able to pick up sights and sounds that are far beyond the human capacity. The PPA has been able to document through our research that dogs can see into the infrared light spectrum. This is the same light spectrum that many paranormal teams are using with IR cameras and camcorders. Humans cannot see into this light spectrum, but dogs can giving additional insight into what may be going on at a location. Once a dog acts or reacts to a particular stimuli, traditional means of paranormal investigating can be employed to see if addition indicators, such as evp's or emf fluctuations can

We protect Ben basically the same way we protect all our members. Our team first looks to see if there are any physical concerns with the location that we need to address such as sharp objects on the floor, poor flooring, or other dangerous conditions. We do not take Ben into locations that may be harmful to him. From a metaphysical perspective, Ben gets the same psychic selfdefense measures or spiritual protection that the rest of our team gets. We work with a psychic medium on most cases and she does her thing to protect the whole entire team before we start, Ben included. We have worked cases where clients believed that their animals were being harmed on a spiritual level. On those cases where we know beforehand that animals are being harmed, we will not use Ben.

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ To this date, we have not had any issues other than Ben chasing something through a house and running into a wall. There have been no signs of discomfort or distress on his part and we are very careful to keep it that way. Ben can be a very big deterrent as well should anything be threatening to a team member. Ben is also a handler protection dog and has become very protective of the team and has actually gotten between our members and something he was perceiving in some way. It is nice to know he has our back even in unusual situations. â&#x20AC;˘ If you are reviewing your evidence at a location you conducted an investigation at, while playing back your digital recorders you hear a growl. What would be your first interpretation of that evp and would you consider the possibility that it might be a dog? We sometimes tend to be wrong on our first interpretations of what we find out in the field but we would certainly have to keep a dog in mind among other animals, both domestic and wild. We try not to jump to conclusions too fast but being that we have picked up anomalous animal sounds on our recorders in the past, we would definitely put that on the list of possible causes. Once we got back to our office, we could take a much better look into the sound and pick it apart. After we compared it against other recording devices and did some historical research on the location, we would be in a much better position to have an informed opinion on the cause of the growl.

On another case, we had Ben in a residential property. Hawk, Ben, Lauren, and I were in a second story master bedroom. Ben kept walking to the bedroom door, would look back at Hawk and then walk over to Hawk and nudge him. This was done repeatedly five or six times. It was apparent to everyone that Ben wanted Hawk to follow him. We followed Ben out of the bedroom and down a staircase where he gave an indication to Hawk that there was someone behind a closed bathroom door. If Ben and Hawk were doing police work in the field, this would be Ben's indicator for a "live" person who was behind the door. When the door was open, Ben ran into the room and aggressively started looking for someone but the room was empty. When we later checked with the homeowners, they told us that they often hear the bathroom doorknob turn and the door opens by itself. On yet another case, we had Ben in a two story home. Ben began chasing something through a first floor living room and halfway up a staircase when he suddenly turned and ran straight into the wall. At the same time this was happening, PPA Psychic Medium Virginia Centrillo related that she felt a presence come into the room. Apparently so did Ben!

â&#x20AC;˘ Can you share with us some of the investigations Ben, your canine paranormal investigator; accompanied you and your team on, as well as sharing some of his behavior patterns when he might have experienced something paranormal. On one instance of investigating with Ben, Hawk and I had Ben in a neutral position lying on the floor on the second floor of an old insane asylum. Ben was panting but otherwise relaxed. In one instance, Ben snapped to an alert position, stopped panting and became very focused looking down the hallway. Within seconds, Hawk and I started hearing footsteps coming towards us. The footsteps stopped and Ben went back to panting and lay down. We were able to record the sound of the footsteps with a positive reaction from Ben who apparently heard or saw something seconds before Hawk and I. It was another way to verify that something paranormal was going on.

* Photos provided by Mark Keyes

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Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ Dust and Shadows

Green Cove Springs Re-Visit Our day trip to St. Augustine a couple months ago really turned out to be one of the best spontaneous adventures Don and I have been on. The Old Jail in Green Coves Springs, Florida, discussed in the May Issue of Voices to Visions, it is about our experiences Don, and I had at this great location. Now that we have a base on what we are going to do today, we are hoping to find out who these spirits are. While Don was driving, I was writing this article and setting an agenda on for these upcoming hours at the Old Jail. First, there are three major locations within the jail I would like to concentrate on is the shadow, the tap on the head and the hallway. One area down stairs and two locations upstairs is where I am concerned about. The downstairs, is where we captured two pieces of evidence of paranormal phenomena; the shadow we saw in the last cell on the first floor and someone saying “Curick.” Our objective for this area would be finding out who is Curick and who is the shadow that we caught in the photo, could it be Abe? The upstairs location is where we had a couple of solid evps, “Get out,” “I likey”, “Look so fine,” and is where I was tapped on the head along with hearing laugher. The objective for this location would be to find out if they remember us, what did they liked, and extensive of finding out names and dates. The hallway upstairs is where I had felt someone touching my hand and capturing a child’s laughter on the digital recorder. In addition, we wanted to find out if there is a child here. I have everything laid out in my head how I would like to have this. I will place three digital recorders in those locations and take stationary photos and free-roaming photos as Don takes over the video. I strongly believe those are the three most important pieces of equipment we could have. I am hoping that later on within the year, we can acquire at least one more video camera, and a couple more digital recorders.

We arrived in Green Coves Springs a couple of hours early, ate lunch and hung out at the park, until it was time to meet up with Vishitra, Curator of the Old Jail. As we got to the jail, two teenagers that were in the upstairs area of the jail when we got there. We said hello to them as they came downstairs and followed them to meet up with Vishitra in the Museum. It was so good to see Vishitra. She is extremely knowledgeable about this location and overall a wonderful person to be in company with. While Vishitra was going over things about our investigation, I had overheard something between the daughter and mother. After that, I was uncomfortable with the whole day. What happen in the jail? What had been said? Would this make an difference in our investigation? I just let it go and went to get our equipment from the car. Don and I set everything up in the jail. We left a recorder in the hallway downstairs, one recorder in the hallway upstairs, and the last recorder in the corridor upstairs by the right side cells. We continued to keep the digital recorders on and ask questions that had pertained to our experiences from our last visit for about two hours. It is always going to be a hit or miss, depending on whether or not the spirits want to communicate at that time. I just did not feel the surroundings were right. It was as if something was off, distant maybe, the atmosphere was not the same. Don and I both agreed to end our investigation early.

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Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ Quick History of the Clay County Jail

is now Claude’s office and the upstairs houses all the old probate files.

With Vishitra Garig • Can you share with our readers about your involvement with the Clay County Jail? I first found the jail/Clay County Archives about 3 years ago. I was actually looking for a reputedly haunted cemetery in the area, saw the Archives sign, and stopped in. That is how I meet Claude Bass, the county archivist. Anyway, I walked in the building and got that immediate “I am not alone” feeling. Before you know it, I had Mr. Bass allowing CAPE Paranormal Investigations (that the team I am a member of) in for an investigation. It was the first time the jail had ever been investigated. After that, I began to volunteer at the Archives on a weekly basis. Now, I am a volunteer docent, historical researcher here. I also do all the genealogy research and help citizens with their historical and genealogical research. We also do historical preservation projects here.

As of 2005 James Jett, the Clay County Clerk of the Court, runs the archives. He employs Claude. We store, preserve, collect the county oldest document plus articles of historical interest. We also have over 30, 000 photographs and images of current and historical interest here. All of this is here for the public to come in, look at, and conduct research. We also house thousands of aerial photos of the county and historical maps of the county. We also have books, treatises, and complied genealogies. The cellblock has never been renovated. It remains as it was the last day it housed prisoners in 1972. We think that the first part of the cellblock was built circa early 1903. In 1917, the grand jury inspected the jail and found it lacking. The last part of the cellblock was a WPA project in the 1930.s that part looks remarkably similar to the cellblock at the Baker county jail. The 1894 portion of the jail looks just like the jail in Hamilton County as Pauly Jail Company built them both. The cellblock looks like the Baker county jail, also a WPA project.

• Share with us a quick history of the Old Jail. Jail History: This jail was built in 1894 in the Victorian gothic style. The Pauly Jail Company built the jail. This jail is one of the top three oldest jails in Florida. The jail ceased to be used in 1973. The first Clay County jail was a wooden structure built about 1872 just down Walnut Street from the 1894 jail. The steel cells from that jail were placed in the top floor of the 1894 jail once the 1872 jail was closed. Before 1872, the jail was in Whitesville (present day Middleburg). The archives’ office is the original, oldest part of the jail. Where I now sit, in the room with the 2-story ceiling, used to have two floors. Cells were above my desk. The jailers and their families lived in the building. They were housed in the upstairs rooms. Several jailers’ children were born in the jail. You can still see the closed off doors that were sealed up during the renovation of the jail in 2003. Extensive renovation had to be done to the 1894 portion; water damage due to a leaky roof was pervasive. The booking room was the front room with the display cases. It now holds display cases with artifacts like weapons taken from criminals, handcuffs, billy clubs, blackjacks, a still, playing cards, a file used in a jailbreak, and other things donated by past sheriffs. This booking room is where the bleeding body of Sherriff Theodore Cherry, murdered in 1913, was brought in a laid down. The room now houses all of the county’s oldest court documents. The back room

• During renovations, there have been some findings that were unearthed. Can you share with us some of those findings and how important those artifacts are for the museum. Restoration of the jail: Restoration of the jail was completed in 2003. A new roof was added, old rotten walls inside were replaced, the wood stairwell was refurbished. There was treatment for mold, termites, and the like. Water still seeps through the one-foot thick walls, staining the interior paint job. That is the nature of the masonry. The window frames and glass are original as is many of the architectural features of the 1894 structure. Of course, we have new wiring and carpet over the wood floors. The original wood floors had to be replaced due to water damage and along with it the bloodstained patch where Sherriff Cherry’s’ body lay. Found during the renovation and under the floor boards and in the walls were homemade playing cards created by bored prisoners, valentines cards, plates and cups, and in one wall in the cell block a file used by prisoners in an attempted jail break. Some of these artifacts are in the display cases. They shed some light on the daily lives of the jailers and their prisoners. Numerous antiques are in the jail, and we use them daily as desks and display, etc. The antiques were collected and donated by Claude Bass and other history minded folks. Numerous antiques are in the jail, and we use them daily

Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ as desks and display, etc. The antiques were collected and donated by Claude Bass and other history minded folks. • You have done such an extensive background research on the inmates that were held in the Old Jail, could you tell us about the ones that you took an interest in? THE JAILBIRDS: these guys make coming to work every day very interesting. Lisa Helmley and I undertook an extensive research project into the prisoners that were held in this jail. Long rumored to have had hangings in front of the jail we were able to find legal documentation of the eight death sentences handed down before 1924. In 1924, prisoners were then sent to Raiford for electrocution in Old Sparky. Execution was by hanging at this jail. At least five of those sentences were carried out. One of the executions was that of Frank Richardson in 1902 for rape. We discovered that this jail held juveniles, the insane, men and women. One poor woman, E.S., had been in the jail at least once before for insanity issues. The last time she was here, she did not leave or make it to the insane asylum. She died in the jail. There was also a suicide in 1926 of a man being held for transport to the psychiatric facility. There was also a suicide on the front lawn of the jail/courthouse complex. This fellow stabbed himself to death. That was in the 1950. We have had three Sheriffs killed in the line of duty, and two others disappear, never to be seen again. We had one who was assassinated while running for re-election. The prisoners in the jail here were held for crimes such as murder, incest, robbery, child abuse, rape, moon shining, and the like. Of particular interest to us were the eight prisoners who received death sentences. All were held here at the jail. At least five were executed by hanging in the front parking lot of the jail. Research of the Florida Supreme Court records is still ongoing and the fate of the other three appears to have been retrials followed by life sentences. Some of the death case individuals were Frank Richards, WN Smith, and Abe Middleton. Rufus Chesser was as the first prisoner from Clay County sent to Raiford for execution. He was electrocuted in 1927. He was 19 years old, 17 at the time he killed his sweetheart and his own brother-in-law. • Is there any information about what the routine was during the time the inmates were incarcerated? What time was breakfast, what they did after breakfast and so forth?

JAIL LIFE: From records kept by the sheriff, we know that the prisoners were fairly well fed. They got lots of vegetables, especially cabbage and potatoes, pork “fat back,” bread and coffee. They were issued blankets and such. Chain gangs worked in the county at turpentine camps. These prisoners were “farmed” out to turpentine camps and worked off their sentences at the camp. Medical care was provided. One Doctor who often treated the prisoners was Dr. Charles Merrill, the father of Charles Merrill, the founder of the investment firm Merrill Lynch. It was no joy to be in this jail though; it is hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Prisoners became bored and did things like fashion keys out of metal spoons in an attempt at escape. They played cards. They would try to talk the jailer’s children into bringing them the keys when no deputies were around. There was a sweatbox out back and it was a real “Cool Hand Luke” punishment. • Since this jail known to have some type of paranormal activity, can you share some of your own personal experiences. I have heard disembodied voices, seen a partial apparition, and had some object movement. The jailbirds have also locked me out of the office twice. I have also smelled perfume in the jailers section of the building. I have walked in some mornings to the cellblock and had all the hair on my head stand right up. I refuse to go upstairs at night alone. I have heard footsteps above me where there is no floor anymore. • The Old Jail has opened its doors for paranormal groups to conduct investigations; can you give more information about this opportunity for the paranormal enthusiasts? Welcome to all Paranormal Researchers: The jail is open to all legitimate paranormal researchers. Investigations can be set up on weekends. We usually aim for Saturday nights. The county asks for a $10 per person contribution to the archives and we will have you sign a waiver of liability. Teams are asked to have a minimum of three individuals show for scheduled investigation. There is no time limit on how long you can investigate. The money collected is tax deductible and goes exclusively for the Archives use in preservation and historical projects. Since we are a public building and working archives, we are open to the public Monday through Thursday from about 8 am to about 3 pm. You can give yourself a selfguided tour inside the cellblock or come into the archives portion and look at our displays. Whoever is working would be happy to give a short tour or answer questions. No Charge

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Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ Our personal experiences When Don was in the last cell upstairs, he did feel something touch his hand. I did go into the cell to see if there were any spider webs, but there was nothing. I saw something while I was sitting down facing one of the cells, a black tiny round thing that flew horizontally from the hallway into the cell I was facing. This was similar to what I saw at the May Stringer House.

Evidence There was not anything in our photos we took that had any paranormal evidence, as well as in digital recordings. Some evps captured on the digital recorders I listened to might be paranormal, but was not that solid for me to understand clearly. Our video that we left recording in the downstairs hallway nothing was captured there either. Was this the wrong time of day? Were the spirits doing something else? What were they doing at this time of day while they were living? Did something happen before we started our investigation? Some important issues we have learned during this visit were to find out the routine that would happen daily at a location, whether it is a jail or hospital. This might help you with your timing of investigations. When to be there and when not to be there. To get more detailed information about the people and workers. In addition, who were the main occupants of that location, as well. However, these people might not have died at that location. These could be people that their spirits would be considered residual, and they just happen to go to that certain area or location all the time. For example, there is a gentlemen that drives into this parking lot, gets out and walks around with a paper in his hands every day, he has been doing this for over seven years and how long before that, we really do not know. So, when he passes over, his spirit could very well be known at that parking lot still walking his routine as he did every day. So here again, one person might think it would be “Mike,” but it really could be “Betsy.”

In closing We do honestly feel the Old County Jail does in fact have paranormal activity. There is too much evidence not to support that. It is not about how much evidence we

collect, it is about finding out who they are. Digital recordings are the only way we can accomplish that. To keep asking the right questions that relates to the history of that location, as well as the people that still could be in that space. Should we stop asking the questions, is there anyone in here with us? Can you make a noise? Start asking more detail questions like is your last name Johnson. Were you one of the men hung in the gallows outside of this jail? On the other hand, should we just stop asking questions? For us, I feel the more we just walk around and talk amongst ourselves about the location, the better the evidence we can capture to prove that they might be there. Maybe that is when they might feel that they are joining in with our conversations and not being asked with routine questions or maybe they can actually feeling like they are an outsider. No one really knows the best way; you have to choose what is comfortable for them as well as out of respect to them. If you do take a day visit to the jail, I strongly suggest you visit the Old County Jail during the day, talk with Vishitra. Ask her give you a history tour throughout the jail. Depending on how busy the museum is, you might be able to run some recordings, video and take some photos on our own time when the jail is open. I truly think this is such a great place, and again, with some wonderful people that volunteer their time to keep everything there up and running. * Photos by Alice Mary Herden

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Voices to Visions August 2011 __________________________________________________________________ Next Issue: September 2011 • Editors Views Fairytales • Interview Being Scheduled • Encounters Sprites and Fairies • Paranormal Folklore Cauld Lad of Hiton • Famous Places Calvados Castle • Famous Haunting Charlton House • Readers Ghost Stories Ghost Stories • 101-Dictionary Candles • Workshop Nature Spirits • Paranormal Team of the Month Submit your team • Dust and Shadows Location Fantasy of Flight

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