Author: Doc Ravencraft

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Thanks giving

Old sketch of Doc RavencraftWhile some of you might think that someone who goes by the title of “Authentic Texas Mojo Man” might be squatting in a hut somewhere, shunning any connection with technology and eating anything unlucky enough to crawl within my grasp, the truth is that I’m fairly wired for a wizard.  Technology helps me keep up with others in the world and I benefit from it a lot.  I also make sure that I know where the off switch is for everything!  This week I’m going to be turning off a lot of my technology while I surround myself with the love and company of family and friends in the traditional Thanksgiving holiday as celebrated in the United States.

However, as I prepare, I thought it was fun to see the Google search trends moving from the typical sports, politics, murder and other things that pass for news nowadays to people searching for green bean casserole and pecan pie recipes.  That gives me hope for the humans and starts me thinking about what makes this time a special and sacred one.

There is a profound power in the giving of thanks.  It seems like such a trivial thing, but it is the completion of the cycle of wishing.  First you decide what you want.  Then you visualize it clearly and send that idea out into the Universe.  Next you do the work and put the resources that you can into making things come true… while you accept what the Universe has to offer to bring your wish.  Finally, you acknowledge what you received and you give thanks!  If you leave out that last step then you aren’t done.

Why?  Why is it important to give thanks?  It seems to me that anyone who would ask that question is looking for a loophole, and I’m tempted to just let them discover for themselves.  I won’t worry about them, though and I’ll give my answer to you.  It’s simple energy.  For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.  When you make the wish and the wish is granted that leaves the ball in your court so to speak.  If you don’t lob it back by giving thanks then the game is over.  When you do give thanks it takes some of that energy that you received and puts it back into play, available for you and for everyone who needs it.

You may not believe that.  That’s OK.  It doesn’t really matter if you believe it or not.  It still works.  Think abut the last time that you gave profound thanks for something, expressed true gratitude.  Do you remember the way that felt, that wash of goodness?  Do you remember the joy that you felt in others as you thanked them?  All of that is real.  That is energy moving around and it makes a difference.  If you’ve gotten out of the habit of showing gratitude for what you receive then you’ve just forgotten what all of this feels like and you need to get back into the game.

There will be a lot of people who will sit around the table with family and friends and they will bitch about everything.  They’ll bring up old family squabbles and pick, pick, pick on each other.  They’ll complain about problems with work, with the car, with everything.  It will throw a huge grey cloud over everything that not even grandma’s homemade pie can overcome.  Don’t you do that!

Think of everything, anything, that you have.  If you’ve gotten caught up in everyone’s misery game you may have to work for it, but I promise you that there is something to be grateful for.  (I’ll give you a hint.  You have life. That’s a start.)  Once things come to mind they will likely lead to others and you will realize that you have a greater abundance than you imagined.  If not, then you’re just out of practice.  If there are people at hand who you feel deserve some of this gratitude, then thank them directly.  You’ll light them up.  If not, then just thank God, or the Universe or whatever you can envision.  Think about how what you have has made a difference to you and let that good feeling flow out of you.  Feels good, doesn’t it?

You may even find that if you take an attitude of genuine gratitude that you’ll infect the others and they will feel the joy of gratitude as well.  You may even find that the conversation turns to good memories and people let the cares and concerns go for just a little while.

Let the mojo flow, my friends.

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Strange things afoot at the Museum…

Old sketch of Doc RavencraftI know that you’ve come to think of me as a fountain of wisdom, but today I’m going to be crassly commercial.

It’s Friday, and that means that I’ll be presenting at the Museum as a special attraction.  What does that mean?  It means for only $5 extra you get to go beyond the back door of the Museum, into the courtyard, up the stairs and into the new Inner Sanctum Theatre.  It’s the only way that you’ll get to see the incredible life-size King Kong (and take your picture with him).  Once there, you’ll also get to spend some special time with yours truly for an excursion into the weird.

What awaits you?  I’ll bring out some of the strange artifacts from the Museum and my own collection and share their bizarre stories.  (Be prepared.  These things sometimes like to show off a little when they get some attention and it’s very likely that something weird will happen.)  You’ll experience psychic phenomena, due to the strong qualities of the Museum’s location.  (I believe it’s a combination of ley line placement and it’s central location to so much haunted activity in Austin.  Whatever the reading, it’s  a great place to perform psychic experiments so we may have a chance to read each others minds!)  We’ll also see if the Museum’s resident ghost is in the mood to communicate.

What an incredible deal for the price of an adult beverage (if you have good taste).  I’ll open the doors tonight at 7:00, 8:00 and 9:00.

I’ve also confirmed that we will be holding séance presentations over Halloween weekend for a lucky few.  There will be two sessions per night at 7:00 and 9:00 PM and tickets will be $25.  Seating is extremely limted, with only 10 people per session.  I will demonstrate for you the methods used by old school ghost hunters in your great, great grandparent’s day.  We’ll try to connect with the Museum’s ghost and some of the others who are in the area.  Everyone will have the chance to have a question answered by the spirits.  If you are a fan of the paranormal this is a unique opportunity to experience the spirit world.  This close to Halloween I expect the veil to be quite thin.  We should get good results.  All seats must be reserved in advance.  Do it now!  Contact the Museum by phone at (512) 476-5493 or email steve@museumoftheweird.com.

ALL PROGRAMS ARE FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY

 

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Take a walk on the weird side…

Old sketch of Doc RavencraftOK, folks. It’s started. We broke the cheap champagne to open the private show room at the Museum of the Weird. For all of you who came by to watch the Zombie Movies with us last weekend, I hope that nothing followed you home. Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

This Friday I am going to begin what we are calling an “Extra Attraction.” For an extra $5 (the price of an adult beverage if you have good taste) you will be able to go beyond the museum and up into the show room for some special time with Yours Truly for what will promise to be some truly weird entertainment.

I’m going to take advantage of the unusual psychic an ghostly nature of that space to delve into the paranormal. You’ll get to know the ghost of the Museum as well as the many that surround the building in downtown Austin. We’ll find out if it’s true that people are more psychic when they are in the Museum. I may also be able to drag out some of the undisplayed artifacts that really should not be viewed without some supervision.

If you are curious about the paranormal, if you have always wondered what it’s like to have a ghostly encounter or a psychic experience, if you just like things a little on the weird side, come join me at the Museum of the Weird, starting this Friday, 10/14/2011 and most Fridays after that.

Presentations are at 7:00 PM, 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM.

Entrance is $10, which includes access to the Museum ($5 value).  You can purchase your tickets here.

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You gonna eat that ghost or mount it?

Old sketch of Doc RavencraftA while back, someone was talking to someone who was very excited to start their career as an amateur ghost hunter.  It had never struck me before, but suddenly I realized what a strange phrase that was… “Ghost Hunter.”

Depending on your origins, hunting can have different connotations.  The don’t call me the Authentic Texas Mojo Man for nothing!  In Texas hunting has been a tradition since before the Tonkawa and Comanche roamed the hill country around Austin.  (Today we call that land “shopping centers” and it’s all built up with steel and concrete like a pizza oven.)  The hunters I knew ate what they killed and they stalked them honestly.  They didn’t use robotic feeders to train the animals to gather at the kill site at a convenient time.  They had respect for their prey and had as much praise for the ones who got away as the ones that ended up at the dinner table.

Buffalo are rounded up and slaughterd from a train.
Slaughter of American Buffalo

Ah, but there are other kinds of hunters.  There are poachers who use the most aggressive means possible and rape the environment with no concern for balance.  They come in and take the one thing that they value, leaving the rest to rot.  This was the case in the early European settlement of America, where herds of buffalo were slaughtered, skinned and left to rot.  You can read all about it in “The Extermination of the American Bison,” by William T. Hornaday, freely available through Project Gutenberg.  This kind of destruction shows no respect, only a drive to profit.

So, when people talk about “ghost hunting” I first have to ask myself “What kind of hunter are you?”  Frankly, a lot of what I see from people seems to be much more about trophy hunting.  They gather their experiences and trot them out for display, but what have they learned about the nature of the spirits they pursue?  Even the more respected style of hunting is still about dominance.  As a predator you have to win or you don’t eat.  No matter how much you respect your food, you still need it to lose the game.

There is another approach to wildlife that I think is much more in tune with what people say they want to achieve:  bird watching.  I know some people who are birders.  They have traveled far and wide for the express purpose of crossing a species off of their list.  They are immensely knowledgeable about birds, appreciating the nuance of color and shape that separates them.  They know the calls and can tell you a number of things about the birds that make them unique in their environment.  The are damned near ornithologists in their understanding of these creatures.  Their goal?  To see that these animals live.

I’m sure that there are some bad birders out there, but the birds get to largely ignore them.  It doesn’t kill you to be looked at.  On the other hand, the good ones spread a lot of information about habitat and what these animals need to survive.  (Yes, responsible hunters do that too, but it’s lost on some people because of the whole “dead animal” thing.  Don’t get me wrong… I’m a huge fan of venison!)

I guess what it all comes down to for me is respect.  Are you just going for chills and thrills, or do you want to grow closer to these entities that you are seeking?  What are you learning as you go on your encounters?  What are you doing to improve the situation?

I’ve said before that I don’t think… shall we call it “Ghost Watching?”… is all about gadgets.  People are already wired to connect with the spirit world.  We just devoted that energy to video games and managing fantasy football teams.  You need to learn how to quieten yourself so you can experience what is there.  But I’m not going to harp on that right now.

I just want you to consider when you seek a ghost, what you want to take away.  You have an amazing opportunity to make some sort of connection.  What are you going to do with it?  Are you going to get it to tell you the color of your socks? (“Because no one could know that!”)  Are you going to try to get this spirit— who for all we know was a human being just like you and me, with love and pain and joy and sorrow and a real life that they led as best as they could— are you going to get them to do tricks for you?  Or, are you going to do something to find out more about what hold them here?  Are you going to do something to make sure that their memory matters?

Word mean things.  If you are a Ghost Hunter, that says something about you.  Does it say what you mean it to?  Even if you adopt the term Ghost Watcher, which I think is a better description, are you really learning about this phenomena, or just going for the exercise.  Think about it.  Look at that picture of the buffalo and think about it.  What are you going to leave behind?

(I just wanted to let you know that I didn’t come up with the term “Ghost Watching” on my own.  My friend, David, was kind enough to help draw these correspondences during a conversation over adult beverages when I expressed my dissatisfaction.)

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More mojo in your little finger…

Old sketch of Doc RavencraftI know someone who is much more than he will allow himself to be.  As I think about it, I know a number of people like that.  They are people who look at what is going on the world and they just curl up into a ball and wish that someone would come and fix things for them.  You tell them that they get to pick the color of their glasses (I like mine rose-colored myself) and they look at you and say “That’s all good for you, but it doesn’t work that way for me.”

Did you hear that?  They look at me and explain that their view of the world is that stuff like that doesn’t happen to them, and they are right!  Drives me crazy.  Of course, these are the same people that come back later asking me if I can send a little mojo their way to help them with this or that.  Usually it’s not something that really needs my help.  It’s something that they could do themselves, but they fear it somehow, and I sometimes lack the stamina to hand out tough love.

It saddens me terribly to see people driven by so much fear today.  It’s especially sad when I can see the power that people have.  I can see it, but I can’t make people use it.  I can’t make them talk about themselves and their world in positive terms rather than always giving power to the negative things.  I can’t make people trust themselves and their ability to get through something rather than waiting for someone to tell them that it’s safe.  Ha!  It’s never safe!  Plans go awry; mistakes are made; plans fall apart… and every single one of those things leads you to the next thing… but with you walking your path, not shivering in the shadow of others!

OK.  I’ve gotten a little excited here.  I’ll calm down a bit.  What I want to tell you —  yes, you — is that you’ve got more mojo in your little finger than those worldly fears have in their entire being.  You — yes, I’m still talking about you — can shape the world by your thoughts and your words.  Now, don’t be stupid and expect to close your eyes and open them as a hip-hop star with gold records.  You always start from where you are.  Also, a picture like that is pretty immature.  That’s something you’d see on a TV show.  Do you really want to be that person, or do you want to have a happy life, with your material needs fulfilled, spending every day using your creativity, surrounded by people who appreciate your gifts?  Maybe that looks like the gold-covered guy in the L.A. mansion.  Maybe not.  Maybe your reality — once realized — is even better.

So, universe rearranging 101 (and I’m not the only one who says this… it’s always worked like this):

  • Stop talking about what you don’t want and start talking about what you do want. — Stop saying things like “I wish my boss didn’t treat me like a slave.” and start saying things like “I wish my boss respected my time.” Everyone and everything follows your lead.  If you keep bringing up viewing everything in negative terms, you will be right.  Stop sending that garbage out there and send out the stuff that you want.
  • There is always another option and the choice is always yours. — This is a tough one.  When you are used to being pushed around by circumstances, you imagine that there is no way out of the things you fear.  There is always a way out, but you must choose it.  There is always a cost associated with that choice.  You may suffer some inconvenience or lose friends, possessions, or get out of your comfort zone, but it is up to you to take action or not.  So, if your job makes you physically ill, leave it.  If you complain about the place that you live, move.  If the people around you depress you, get away from them.  What will happen when you do something?  Who knows?  Whatever it is, it will be better than the rot that you are experiencing now.  Use that mojo in your little finger to start some motion.
  • Pay attention to the good stuff. — This should be easy, but it seems it’s not.  When good things happen to you, acknowledge them.  Why?  Because otherwise you will forget them as you go back to your list of evil.  Good things can be simple… you woke up this morning and you weren’t dead…. you found a decent parking place… there’s a 2-for one coupon on your favorite food… anything!  When something good happens I like to say “Stuff like that happens to me.” I find that as I’ve started saying that, it has become more and more true.  Maybe it was always true and I wasn’t paying attention.  Hmmmm?  Paying attention will prove to you that your mojo is doing something… even if it’s just little ripples that are building into waves.
  • Express gratitude. — While you are acknowledging the good stuff, say “Thank you.”  Whom shall you thank?  Everyone!  When the traffic breaks just when you need it to, thank God or the universe or however you envision the larger forces that make things go.  If that break in traffic came from the person behind you, give a wave and think “Thank you, nice traffic person.” Look at different ways to express your thanks to people in everyday life.  Get them a cup of coffee when you go to the break room.  Write them a little sticky-note.  There must be a hundred different on-line sites to send a free electronic card.  I hear that stores still sell Thank You cards.  Make gratitude a part of your life because that sends your mojo back into the universe.  It takes the good that you’ve gotten and spreads it around, if only as a happy energy.

I can hear some of you grumbling about this “motivational crap.”  Where’s the real power?  Ha!  Those are people that I’ll probably have to dress a candle for later.  The truth is, the real power is in making the things that are in our head manifest out here where we can touch them.  That’s what it’s all about.  It can be grand and elaborate, with lots of candles and incense — and if that helps, there is nothing wrong with doing that work.  It can also start to happen right there in your head.

Ahhhhh… there you go.  Now you’re looking at that little finger, and you’re staring to wonder…  Ha!  Go for it!

 

 

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What are all the hunters looking for?

Old sketch of Doc RavencraftI remember when an interest in the paranormal was something to be hidden away. “Watch out for that Ravencraft boy. He’s a little strange.”  The occult — a world which means “secret knowledge” by the way — was something to be sought in strange little book stores, or the remote regions of the local library while people eyed you carefully over the tops of their glasses.  It was not spoken of except with people you could trust.

So what do we have now?  People running around trying to “capture” ghosts.  I’ve seen contests offering free T-shirts and a chance to be on a real ghost hunt.  I’ve spoken to someone who was looking to move from the library to the field and her first concern was what to call the group!  Ye gods!

I suppose that I should have some gratitude that the popularity of books like Harry Potter (and the myriad of books that are tapping into this magical interest) and TV shows about hauntings and the paranormal have moved some of this out of the closet and into the street.  But maybe some of it ought to go back into the closet!  I am genuinely concerned that people who will get all up in arms about things like a Ouija board (Yes, I got all of your notes telling me I was on my way to the fiery regions of hell, thank you very much.) will think nothing about going face-to-face with the unseen world armed with nothing more than the cheapest video camera they could afford.  And they aren’t content to simply observe and report.  Some of them have taken their cues from the boneheads on TV and are calling these things out.  Do you have any idea what a malevolent being could do to you if you get him good and pissed off?

I’ve never been much for the gadgets.  I’m a little curious about some of the ghost radio sorts of things.  I have a little “Shack Hack” that was made for me by a friend, but I haven’t done much with it.  I think that if your connection with the spirits relies on having enough batteries, then you’ve missed it altogether.  That world has been rubbing up against ours since the beginning of time.  Our forefathers seemed to find ways to make sense of it without help from Sony.

So what is the goal of all of these people running around trying to flush out the paranormal?  A lot of them seem to think that there is money to be made.  Ha!  I’ve known many a rich charlatan, but rarely a wealthy wizard.  I suppose that the research and experimentation interferes with quality T-shirt design.  Maybe a lot of them are genuinely curious, but the noisy ones have made everyone feel like it’s all part of the game.

Steve, the owner of the museum, has agreed to let me experiment with the entities that he has in the building.  I know of at least one that seems to be tied to the human skeleton he has on display.  (Strangely, the mummy doesn’t seem to be bothered.  Maybe there was something to all that effort preparing someone for Tuat — “Heaven” for you Bible thumpers.)  There is also a good deal to draw upon in that whole area of the city.  Perhaps I’ll sit some of you explorers down for a good old fashioned approach to talking to the ghosts.  If it will make you feel better maybe I’ll let Steve design a T-Shirt and sell tickets.

I guess what I’m really on about here is that if you are a seeker, then know what you are seeking.  Don’t just jump out there to see what will jump back.  Look at some of the knowledge that people have accumulated on these subjects for the past several hundred years and consider that they might know something that could be useful to you on your quest.  Perhaps even consider that the search for the hidden can happen quietly and peacefully with results that show you personally that there are connections, as opposed to ooing and ahhing over little glowy things in your photographs.  Go curl up with some Hans Holtzer (may he rest in peace) and see what that gets you.  Then come with me and we’ll walk quietly through the curtain together.  The Museum knows where to find me.

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Ouija or Nonnein?

Old sketch of Doc Ravencraft[Ouija appears to be a combination of the French “oui” and German “ja,” which both mean “yes.”  The French “non” and German “nein” both mean “no.”  You probably already knew that.]

Recently I picked up something nice… well, nice for me anyway.  It’s a 50-year-old talking board, or Ouija® board.  (It’s pronounced “wee-jah” by the way, not “wee-jee.”  Look at the word!)  It’s a William Fuld board, made in the 1960s, before the rights went to Parker Brothers.  It did not come with a planchette (that little triangle thing that they use today).  It’s intended to be used with a overturned glass.  I had my eye on a proper board from around 1920, but I got distracted during the critical final moments on eBay.  Alas!  (Yes, I use eBay.  I’m a mystic, not a Luddite.)

 

Doc Ravencraft's Fuld Ouija board from the 1960s
Doc's new, old Ouija board

There is a lot of fear for people around talking boards, especially the Ouija brand.  (Frankly, I find it difficult to put too much fear into the object itself.  After all, it is now largely plastic, glows in the dark and made in the same factory with Mr. Potato Head!)  If some of the stories people tell are true, Toys R Us would be the most terrifying place in the world.  Perhaps it is!) In truth, people have explored ways of communicating with spirits before you could buy a talking board in a box.  It all really got going in the mid 1800s with spirit knocks and table-tipping and all those wonderfully creative ideas that people have come up with to get around the fact that the spirit world hasn’t caught on to email.

From my own experience, working with a talking board is no more dangerous than using a pendulum or any other method where I wish to interact directly with a spirit.  There is nothing about the Ouija board that makes it especially evil (except, perhaps, that it is plastic and glowy and sold in a toy store).  There is nothing that makes it especially effective (except, perhaps, that people’s belief in the stories allow them to open up enough to let something happen).  You could accomplish the same results with an overturned glass and a circle of Scrabble® tiles.  It’s not the tool, but how you use it.

Let’s talk mechanics here for a moment.  When you use a pendulum, or a talking board — or just about anything that you use to communicate with the spirits by having it move as you hold it — you are dealing with ideo motor responses.  This means that your brain is subconsciously sending signals to your muscles to make something happen.  Because you are not consciously doing this, it feels like it happens with an outside force, all by itself, but you are making it happen.  “Gasp!” I hear some of you say.  “He’s saying it’s all fake.”  No!  I am not!  I am saying that there are natural means involved and that it’s not being pushed by “magic fingers.”  You won’t get anywhere if you wait for the universe to do things without you.

You must understand that you are involved with moving these things in order to appreciate how they can become dangerous.  If you want to sit down with one of these things and make it spell out whatever you wish, then you can do that.  (It can be fun to get some squeally teeny-boppers and just completely punk them with what the board says.  They’re not taking it seriously anyway, so why should I?) However, if you are doing it properly, you are letting go of the answers that you want it to say and letting your subconscious drive things.  In other word, you are letting go of the outcome and allowing something else to drive it.  Now, that may simply be thoughts hidden in your brain that are only available to your subconscious, like the last place you really saw that key.  There are those who believe, though, that our subconscious mind is the one that can connect with outside influences, including spirits.  In other words, you might open the communication line and become a channel for these things to talk to you.  Can you see a potential problem with that?

If you believe that all this is crap, then you’re probably find no matter what.  You’re mind will be closed enough that it’s pretty unlikely anything will get through.  (See!  Finally an advantage to being asleep!) However, if you are legitimately experimenting with these ideas and opening yourself to the possibilities, then there are some things you need to do:

  1. Take responsibility for what you are doing. You are exploring in what may be dangerous territory.  You need to be smart and you need to be attentive.  If you come into contact with bad things you will have to be willing to get you and your fellow participants to safety.  If that idea gives you serious doubts then leave it alone.  If you make a mess, you will need to have the guts and wisdom to see that there is a problem and clean it up.
  2. Ground, clean and clear. If you were going to meet with strangers, would you go to a rat-infested hole that was unfamiliar to you or would you try to go somewhere comfortable and safe?  I guess if you’re buying crack you go wherever it is, but most of us would want to meet someplace that was at least neutral.  So, take some time to make the place spiritually comfortable before you start inviting people in.  I don’t think that there is a particular practice that is superior.  It all depends on your own spirituality.  (If you don’t have any, then this probably isn’t a good idea.  If you just want the thrills, rent a movie instead.) Do what is done before you take on a serious ritual or sacrament.  It may be smudging the site and casting a circle.  It may be joining together and saying a prayer.  If you don’t know, then you should probably work with someone who has more experience in this area before you try to do anything on your own.  From what I have encountered, most of the bad things that happen with things like talking boards happen because people skip this step.  They don’t bring any sort of protective force and place themselves at the mercy of anything that they encounter.
  3. Don’t be an idiot. If something feels wrong to you, stop it.  If you encounter something that feels dangerous, move away from it.  There are old, dark things out there that are looking for opportunities to mess you up.  You will not outsmart them like Captain Kirk giving something a logic puzzle.  Forget the movies and the TV shows.  Pay attention to your instincts.  It would be better for you to lose out on a conversation than to allow something nasty to work through you or your friends.  If something seems like it’s hiding something or the “vibe” you get is inconsistent with the words, let it go.  If someone says that they are uncomfortable or describes something that they are picking up, don’t act as though it can’t be real if it didn’t happen to you.  Don’t bully people into keeping contact with something that may not be nice to them.  I know I’m being a little dramatic here, but you get these things for a reason.  Don’t ignore them and cause unnecessary trouble for yourself.
  4. Set some guidelines for what you are trying to do. Don’t just say “Hey!  Is anyone there?”  That’s like posting something on the Internet that says “Everyone come to my house!  Here’s the address.”  Make some decisions about who you want to contact and why.  Start there and let them introduce you to other entities.  Remember that bad things (or merely mischievous things) will lie to you.  Don’t assume it’s Elvis just because he says so.  Take some time.  Be polite.  An excellent place to start is to try to contact a spirit guide that is already connected to one of the participants.  You may have one and not even know it.  The point is that you want to connect with something that has your interests at heart.  Starting there will save you a lot of trouble down the road.
  5. Take notes. Keep some kind of record of who you contact and what they tell you.  It gives you something to help verify anyone that you contact.  It also helps you watch for inconsistencies, which can be a sign of something that’s messing with you.
  6. Clean up when you’re finished. Just like after a big party you may need to wander through the place and make sure that everyone has actually gone home, you need to close things out after a session like this.  Thank everyone who talked to you and ask them to depart until you invite them again.  Do a closing prayer, or open the circle or whatever makes sense for your path.  Just don’t leave things hanging.

There’s no way that this little list of ideas could cover all the possibilities when working with these tools.  Hopefully, though, I’ve got you thinking.  If you have questions, ask them.  In the mean time, I’m going to see which of these glasses seems to like my Fuld board.

Doc

 

 

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These times they are a-changin

Old sketch of Doc RavencraftSteve has asked me to introduce myself before I tell you what I have to say. I’m Saul Ravencraft, but most friends call me “Doc.”  I’ve been helping the Museum of the Weird behind the scenes for a while now as what you might call a practitioner of the esoteric arts. I am not a paranormal investigator who bumps around in the dark with a collection of gadgetry, hoping for “evidence” that I can show my buddies in the cubical on Monday. I get my hands dirty, sometimes damned dirty, as I walk with the things that many people just don’t want to believe. It’s probably better for them. They can spend their time watching reality TV and sports on seven different screens and stay out of the way of the rest of us. But you, my friend, are not going to be so lucky. Your eyes are already at least partly opened or you wouldn’t even know that the Museum of the Weird existed. 

You have probably noticed, as I have, that there has been an increase in weird news. Sightings of strange animals like Bigfoot have become more common, and more commonly reported. UFO activity has gone off the charts. Suddenly, even the TV is filled with programs about ghosts and the paranormal. You think this is a coincidence? Ha! There are no coincidences.

Is it the end of the world? Not hardly – at least not “The World.” It’s going to be the end of some people’s world as they are finally going to have to face up to the fact that some of the strange things that they have been ignoring and explaining away will not be ignored. They are going to have to deal with the fact that some of the people around them are going to wake up and tune into these things and they won’t know what to do about it.

You may remember the song – or you’re probably to damned young to know about it – “The Age of Aquarius.” (The full lyrics are available on this web page.) Yes, this song is full of the time it was written,  (you wait until your grandkids laugh at some of your favorite music) but they’ve essentially got it right. We are moving into a new age, from that ruled by Pisces, the fish, to Aquarius, the water-bearer.

The age before Pisces was Aries, characterized by war and fire (and ironically use of the battering “ram”.) This was a time of conquest and adventure. The age of iron. In the age of Pisces we saw the rise in Christianity – complete with a symbol of a fish – among other similar paths which called upon all people to be more spiritual in nature. You could argue that this age has been as warlike as any of them, but now it’s been for a nobler, more spiritual purpose!

The Aquarian age is going to be filled with new freedoms as everyone is empowered to move beyond our work-horse existence into something more personally fulfilling. It’s already happening. The same technology that is giving you up-to-the-minute reports on UFO sightings, complete with maps and video, are also providing access to old information, as occult and other older writings are being made available through the Internet. People who thought that they were the only one’s who had ever had a paranormal experience are now finding others, so they can finally discuss what happened and what it really means. People who had never dared to experiment with contacting spirits, working with the powers of their mind, or trying their hand at magic are becoming curious again.

Yes, yes, science will continue to progress and we will have wonderful things from it all… but how we partake of those things will change, for the better. It won’t all change immediately for everyone. We’re at the very beginning of this age, but it is changing. I know that you can feel it.

If your mind is open and you’ve always wanted to explore the weird, that’s natural. We’re being called to that. Those who take up the call are going to make some amazing discoveries, that will be dwarfed by the people after us. Those who block it out are going to be confused and angry. (You know some of them!)  Stay tuned here and I’ll try to do something for those of you that are ready.