9509
Private Residence
Tampa
September 5, 2009
As the humidity lessens in the Florida atmosphere, it means one thing: Fall is approaching the sunshine state. With the season comes the promise of the Hallowe’en holiday, a time of great activity for paranormal investigators. Hallowe’en is a mixture of secular and sacred, mundane and profane. It hails from the Celtic celebration of the New Year in which time was a mixture of the old and the new year, thus the normal order of the universe was temporarily suspended. Over time, it has moved from a secondary secular holiday of costumes and candy to an outright celebration of raunchiness and debauchery to everything in between.
For 2009, the SPIRITS wanted to focus on something a little bit different than the standard Hallowe’en themed article. We’ve chosen the 9505 investigation to fulfill this desire. Not only did this home host a paranormal investigation and recheck, but it is a museum to culture. The owners have decorated with magnificent art hailing from various parts of Africa. Faces preserved from the past peer forth from all corners of the house. What better theme than that of the mask could we select to fit this season?
The use of masks appears to date back to prehistoric humanity. Cave and rock paintings indicate the creation of masks as used in ceremony, and possibly for the hunting and taming of animals. They hail from every culture including Asia, Africa, Greece, and both North and South American cultures. The use of masks is often one of the esoteric; they are used to represent figures and creatures from the native explanatory mythology. They also create a form of symbolic code in which the viewer and the participants in a culture can identify the figure represented in the imagery.
Today, we have our own cultural interpretation of masks. We recognize the cowl of Batman, the pointed hooked nose of a hag, or the grotesque as represented by a ghoul’s face. As would happen with cultures that used their masks for religious rites, the wearer of the guise hides his true face. Thus, his or her true persona is also hidden allowing the wearer to take on the characteristics defined by the mask. For Hallowe’en, this can be shown through the “trick” aspect; practical jokes that would not be tolerated at other times of the year are pardoned to a greater degree when performed on this night. The behavior of tricksters may be enhanced by their wearing of the mask – quite literally, the wearer’s personality is consumed by the mask. They are no longer themselves.
For the 9505 investigation, several things were discovered in relationship to the supernatural. The home owner reports the presence of family members who have passed over. A death that took place near the property may also retain an element of energy with the impression of the dead man lightly echoing in the house. One SPIRITS member even picked up the presence of a “troll” figure – likely an elemental – in one part of the building. This is a rare event for the SPIRITS of St. Petersburg. However, additional research showed that trolls (or earth elementals) do like places that are embedded in the earth, and this room was built lower than the rest of the house. They are also tied to stones with holes in them – and the property held two large stones taken from the ocean, one of which held an empty center. The “troll” was asked to leave by one of the homeowners and did not show up on the second recheck.
What is fascinating is that on both investigations, SPIRITS members honed in on two masks displayed in the study. One bore a bright red face and the other had exaggerated elongated features. These two images stood side-by-side. The red-faced mask, an image representing wisdom, not only caught the eye but produced a distinctly uncomfortable sensation for several who looked upon it. One homeowner reported that she did not really like the mask and protested its arrival to the house. The other, however, felt no menace from it.
Instead, his focus was on the elongated mask of a hunting archetype from Africa. This mask, he reported, had been the troublesome soul for him. He had acquired it but felt that the mask “fought” his ownership. At one time, he placed the mask upon a body-form (an alterations dummy) that was in his bedroom. When he left, the dummy and the mask faced the bed. He locked his bedroom door (this particular door had a lock and key for this room alone) and left the apartment (also locking the apartment with a separate key). Upon returning home, he discovered the doors still locked but when he went inside, the mask and dummy had turned completely around; now the backs of both faced the bed. The oddness of this is that the keys to the room were accounted for and no one could have gotten into the room without a key. So, how did the mask turn around unless of its own will? And thus, dear readers, this article wraps up with that question to ponder.
If we had advice to give on the upcoming night of spectral celebration it would be a reminder to respect the mask one wears. If the wearer identifies with the mask, who is to say that the mask doesn’t identify with the wearer? After all, masks serve as a physical link between the natural and supernatural worlds. Who is to say that those mysterious ephemeral beings can’t work their agenda through you?
Happy Haunting!
SPIRITS of St. Petersburg
Post Investigation communication:
I have done some research on the " Troll" and Earth Elements. I found the following information in Solitary Witch: A Book of Shadows for the Next Generation by Silver Ravenwolf. She says that all Faery Magick involves creatures such as Fairies, Elves and Gnomes. They came come in many various sizes, but are always smaller than humans. She also says to be very careful working with them and not to make them mad. The Faery Energy can be attached to a race of people, or a place or an element. ( Earth element = gnomes, fire= salamanders, water =undines and air = sylphs) They either like you or they don't. They are not dependable unless you can prove somehow that you 're the dependable, honest and upstanding type. You must have patience when dealing with them.
Some believe that they live in stones found near lakes and river beads. These stones have a hole in them and that is where the Faery Creatures live. Some believe that by blowing gently into the hole you can call the nature spirits. These stones are used in Witchcraft to bring prosperity, good luck and earth -related powers. They can also be hung on bedposts to prevent nightmares. ( fyi....hang the stone.... not the fairy or gnome)
I believe what you saw is a gnome and it is attached to something that has been brought into the house. I believe that this object is the gnome's home. They will not be able to get ride of it until they can locate the object where it lives. They can try to make friends with it and leave it a peace offering of milk and bread, cheese or a bit of honey. The offering can be left outside. Maybe it will leave the house to eat and not return.
There is a spell in the book called the "Gnome Spell for Prosperity". I believe if you go to a Barnes and Noble Bookstore or a Books a Million you will be able to find this book and read more. The pages that contain information on Faeries and Devas are on page 422-426.
Hope this helps.
Investigation notes:
2. What equipment did you use on this investigation?
Audio recording devices
Other (please specify)
Paranormal Puck
3. What phenomena did you experience on this investigation? (Please check all that apply)
No Response
4. In review of the footage, recording, or photographs taken at the location, which of the following did you find? (Please check all that apply)
No unusual occurrences at all
Other (please specify below)
A few odd phrases on the Paranormal Puck
5. What technical observations did you note during the investigation? For purposes of categorizing data, please post your first name, followed by your response.
The Paranormal Puck did register a few odd words -- such as "happy crossover" and "crossover" and "pets crossover".
6. What sensitive observations did you note during the investigation? For purposes of categorizing data, please post your first name, followed by your response.
None.
7. What researched/historical information did you learn about this location? For purposes of categorizing data, please post your first name, followed by your response.
This is a recheck. See notes.
8. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the haunting of this location? Note on scale: 1 represents "no haunting", 5 "moderate haunting" and 10 "extremely haunted"?
4
9. What issues does the review team need to address with the occupant (homeowner, business owner, resident)? What aspects of the investigation need to be re-addressed, retested, or clarified?
Brandy: None
10. Is there any other information that you would like to add about this investigation? For purposes of categorizing data, please post your first name, followed by your response.
Want to look into the masks more.
Brandy: Paranormal Puck; hunting, women, 6 women, pet came up quite a bit.
tweak already miss size women
User: Do you have a message for us?
everything hunting .
week
User: Why are you here?
.
covered lord
User: Why are you here?
divide tilt toward night women
User: Are you related to a woman in this house?
.
settled crossover
User: Are you related to a man in this house?
.
.
lot began
User: Why are you here?
already take hunting
User: Who killed John F. Kennedy?
million mine used tweak covered
sugar User: Are you searching for something?
cement tilt hot settled
User: Are you connected to the stones outside?
power crossover ask details women
User: Can you tell us which woman to ask question to?
size .
pet kept gong
User: Is there someone using this device to communicate? Can you give us a clear answer, please?
toward 6 settled do
believe covered church quarter size erase mine .
lot hidden night ask women kept tilt east coin hunting bush sure pet erase million gong .
miss lot mine months kept already take built stunt sure covered .
church .
.
toward ask week lord coin everything began would night church divide 6 .
settled details sugar miss jerk hidden relax night .
.
drift stunt tweak already tilt settled mine would hunting everything week women nose take sound miss sugar toward 6 built divide kept problem week represent .
would details hunting began take tweak everything divide sugar Larry used already .
empty represent settled gong sure take kept toward 6 coin .
fall quarter cement .
.
hunting settled details covered drank already hot everything lord east crossover .
coin months used sound take pet .
bush stunt settled
Areas to go into: hallway, study, dining room area;
EVP sessions;
Paranormal Puck records:
tilt kept settled take .
week began night toward miss stunt covered details months erase crossover take lord used assault million .
toward covered settled represent details tweak months crossover church miss .
lord take sugar women bush about walter size 6 sure momma coin .
glass nation cement .
crossover pet women quite lord sugar lot nose walter weight hot wish short size indicate already .
quarter divide above carefully night power nation believe sugar .
indicate cement tweak about 6 weight bush lord short lot .
power million wire movement lick Sandra comfort night sand covered hurt .
shall hunting pounds settled jerk along counter week toward .
mine .
drank stunt began represent erase crossover million lord settled short comfort already used toward night began miss represent ask pet church million .
erase months drank settled began toward week stunt hunting crossover would .
pet million covered settled miss church months stunt .
happy crossover
