All About Halloween

Every child knows Halloween as a holiday where they get to dress up as their favorite people, characters or things and go around and collect candy from the neighborhood.  I remember as a child it was always one of my favorite holidays, fantastical and sometimes a little crazy.  How often as a child, however, do you remember thinking, “How did trick or treating start?  Why do we dress up?”  My guess is probably never.  It is, however, exactly the type of thing that we think of here at Atmospheric Noise.

In truth, the origins of Halloween are very muddled.  It has ties to Western European harvest festivals, pagan rituals, Christian feasts, among others.  The term “Halloween” dates back to about 1745, coming from “All Hallows’ Eve,” which has a past in and of itself!   Many of today’s Halloween customs have been influenced by Celtic customs and beliefs, some from pagan beliefs and others from Celtic Christianity.  There are many holidays toward the end of the year that celebrate the harvests, and also the coming of winter.  Samhain, for example, is seen as a time when the spirits or fairies are able to come into our world more readily and are even more active than normal.  Feasts forSamhain are often held where the souls of the dead kin were beckoned to attend and a place was set for them at the table, as people believed the dead could revisit their families on these nights. 

In Scottish and Irish culture, guising (or dressing up) can be traced back to at least the 18^th century, where people would dress up and go door to door and sing songs or recite poems in exchange for food. A similar practice can be seen in Christianity for All Souls’ Day or All Saints day, called souling.  On this holiday, people would bake small cakes (called souls) and hand them out to children and the poor who came door to door.  Traditional “souling” songs would be sung, such as:

A soul! a soul! a soul-cake!
Please good Missis, a soul-cake!
An apple, a pear, a plum, or a cherry,
Any good thing to make us all merry.
One for Peter, two for Paul
Three for Him who made us all.

In southern Ireland, guisers would follow a man dressed as a Láir Bhán (a white mare), who would lead them house to house collecting food.  In return for the food, the households would receive good fortune from the Muck Olla (the god of the dead in Celtic culture).  There are even more instances of an early form of trick or treating throughout different cultures, partially due to a mostly universal belief that the veil between worlds was thin on this night and spirits could be warded off by human wanderers.

Even Jack-o-Lantern’s have a place in history, having started out being a primitive sort of lighting for guisers carved out of turnips or mangel wurzels, hollowed out with grotesque faces to represent spirits or goblins, and filled with a candle to light the way.  They were very common in Ireland and Scottish culture, but can be found in almost every society.

As you can tell, the history of Halloween is as much a mixing pot from history as our society is as a whole!

8 Most Haunted Locations in the World

We thought it only fitting to include the most haunted locations in the world with this months topic.  Some of them have a more dramatic past than others, though almost every visitor reports experiencing some sort of phenomena.  Some of the ghosts have names and stories while others are just a mystery.  Whether or not you believe in ghosts, some of these stories will send shivers up your spine!

The Myrtles Plantation

This plantation began in 1796, built by General David Bradford, in St. Francisville, Louisiana.  Not all of the history of the house is agreed upon, as some historians believe that up to 10 murders happened here, however only one murder has been officially confirmed.  One thing that is known, is that strange things happen here.  Some of the reports that have come in from the plantation are of children playing on the veranda, footsteps on the stairway, the piano plays by itself and random ghosts of slaves show up looking for work.   If you'd like to experience it for yourself, you're in luck.  It's now a bed and breakfast!  

"It was a spectacular place to stay, if you keep an open mind. While taking the guided tour, I saw what looked like a heavyset African-American woman wearing an apron walk by the door, on the porch. Thinking it was a worker in period dress, I peeked out and no one was there. We stayed in the children's bedroom, and my best-friend (who was a non-believer at the time) experienced quite a bit of paranormal phenomena. She was held down in the bed and constantly poked all night. She was unable to move or cry out for help. She didn't think the stay was as great as I did. They let you ghost hunt on the grounds whenever you like, but you can't ghost hunt in the main house without an escort. I suggest setting up a video camera in your room and bring a tape recorder to obtain EVP."  ~Stacey Jones, Central New York Ghost Hunters (found on paranormal.about.com)

Here's some of the spookier pictures that turned up on a search:

Look in the Mirror:

Image from hauntsofamerica.blogspot.com

Here's Chloe:

Chloe herself has an interesting story- She was a governess who accidentally killed off part of the family she cared for and then was hung for her misdeeds.  

If you want to know more, this is a great resource on the Myrtle Plantation.

Borley Rectory



The derelict building in the photo above is not a place to enter lightly. Though the small village of Borley, near Sudbury, UK, is not the sort of place one would associate with ghosts, it has a dreadful reputation because it was the site of the infamous Borley Rectory, reputedly the ‘Most Haunted House in England’.



Built in 1863 for the Reverend Henry Bull, it sits on the site of an ancient monastery. The ghost of a mournful nun who patrolled the so-called 'Nun's Walk' had often been seen there. An old story claimed that she had fallen in love with a monk from the Borley Monastery – to much outrage – and the two had tried to elope together but had been quickly tracked down. The monk was executed and the nun bricked up in the cellars of the monastic buildings!

Stanley Hotel



There are countless tales of ghosts from all over the world, but some are more skin-crawling than most. Many of us remember the superb horror film The Shining, based on the novel by Stephen King. The book was inspired by a stay at the Stanley in Estes Park, Colorado. Assigned Room 217, King reportedly heard ghost children playing in the hallway. Many have experienced paranormal activity here, but these real-life ghosts seem harmless. Many spirits are said to haunt the place, while guests and employees claim to have heard faint music coming from the ballroom and seen the piano keys moving.

Woodchester Mansion



Woodchester Mansion in Gloucestershire, England, is another building with a ghostly reputation. Building work has never been completed here, and in the last 200 years workers have repeatedly run from the place and seven builders are rumoured to have died in inexplicable accidents.









The Skirrid Inn



One of the most notorious haunted sites in England is the Skirrid Mountain Inn in Llanfihangel Crucorney, Wales. According to folklore, in its 900-year history over 180 people have been hanged from a beam on the staircase, which is still in place today, with rope marks, apparently. The first floor of the inn is thought to have been a courtroom in the past.



Glasses often suddenly fly across the room of their own accord, faces are seen at windows and people feel nooses around their necks. Guests who stay there often report waking to icy room temperatures – even when the heating is on – and the feeling of being watched. 17th-century barmaid Fanny Price is thought to be the most active spirit among many, but everyone agrees that this really is one scary place to stay.

Rose Hall



You might not think that Jamaica would be the site of an infamous haunted house, but Rose Hall in Montego Bay is exactly that. This huge house is inhabited by the ghost of voodoo priestess's daughter, Annie Palmer, who reportedly causes bloodstains to appear and disappear randomly. She was murdered in her bed after an 11-year reign of death, torture and nymphomania.



Annie murdered three husbands and a succession of slave lovers by poisoning, strangulation and witchcraft, before forcing other slaves to carry bodies through a tunnel to be buried on a beach. According to legend, it is not just the tormented Annie who roams the house, but also ghosts of the slave babies she sacrificed in rituals. Reports have it that her male victims have actually been not only heard but also captured on camera. Not a pleasant place to spend the night.

Bell Farm



The Bell Farm haunting is recognized throughout the paranormal community as the only known account of a ghost that caused the death of a living person. During the years of 1817 and 1821 a woman entity terrorized the Bell family. She became known as the Bell Witch or 'Kate'. She had tortured John Bell so much that it led to his death. He did suffer from a nervous system disorder, and Kate’s antics made his condition worse.

Beside John’s deathbed was found a vial of black liquid. When paranormal experts asked Kate what it was, she claimed she gave it to him. It was thought that the liquid Kate gave to John is what killed him. To test the validity of the liquid, they placed a drop of it on the family cat’s tongue which immediately killed it. Current residents near the Bell Farm believe Kate is still up to no good.

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle is reputed to be one of the most haunted spots in Scotland. And Edinburgh itself has been called the most haunted city in all of Europe. On various occasions, visitors to the castle have reported a phantom piper, a headless drummer, the spirits of French prisoners from the Seven Years War, colonial prisoners from the American Revolutionary War – and even the ghost of a dog wandering in the grounds' dog cemetery.

Buy Your Own Piece of the Unexplained

Are you interested in having something haunted in your house without having your whole house be haunted?

Would you like to be terrorized by creepy dolls and watched by haunted paintings? 

If so, perhaps you would like to seek out your own piece of the Unexplained to have in your home!

You could go searching on Ebay, but we doubt you'll have much luck finding a real ghost.  They have loads of buying guides and rules in place about what you can sell and what you can't.  Apparently ghosts are an intangible object.

Your first stop should definitely be getting your own haunted doll.  Check estate sales first, as they seem to congregate there.  If not, here's a website where you can buy your own haunted doll.  History is noted with the doll!

If that doesn't work, there are a few small shops, like this one- Decroixs Haunted Barn, that features what items they have found that they have for sale.

No haunted shopping trip is complete without a trip to the International Metaphysical Marketplace, where not only can you buy haunted items, but spirits and protections as well!

Too chicken to try buying a haunted item?  Then why not check out books that you can read to have the experience without actually owning one!

*We here at Atmospheric Noise are all about having fun- none of this is an implication that the above items are actually real or that we think it's a wise idea to buy from these locations.  We just think it's fun to share!*

5 Weird Alien Encounters

Throughout history, there have always been accounts of encounters with alien life.  Some manifest in the guise of abductions, others are UFO sightings and then of course there is the crop circle phenomenon.  Today, enjoy a selection of some our favorite extraterrestrial encounters!

Roswell

First up is the case that everyone knows about- Roswell, New Mexico.  This has always been such a great case, if only for the sheer number of alien hunters on the case, as well as the vast number of conspiracy theorists who have also tackled this interesting case as their own.  In 1947, the US military allegedly recovered the remains of an extraterrestrial spacecraft which has crash landed, and then a mass cover-up was executed.  It all started with an explosion late one night, followed by numerous findings of unusual debris scattered around the surrounding area the next day.  The debris had strange qualities, with some parts being noted as having a “water-like” quality, where they wouldn't stay in a solid form. 

The military stated that it was a weather balloon, and then quickly started quieting the locals.  Nurses at the local hospital reported that the military had cordoned off a section of the building, and nurses who were permitted to enter the cordoned off area reported that they saw “little men” who were being examined, and even one small humanoid figure that was up walking around.  Another interesting note is that the nurses who were allowed to work in this area reported being sick for a long time following their incident.   Of the military personnel who have reported claims, most of them report having seen a strange metallic craft that appeared to be embedded in the hillside, along with several of the strange humanoid bodies around the crash site. 

Since the event at Roswell, there have been numerous people who have come out with their stories involving Roswell.  One such story is told by supposed Army Colonel, about the strange technology that he was privy to in years following the incident.  If you’d like to read more about the “Day after Roswell”, go here.  There is also, of course, the famous video of the Alien Autopsy that supposedly followed the Roswell crash.  Lucky for us, it's still preserved on the internet, even though it is believed pretty widespread that the video is a hoax.

The Sunken Ship in the Baltic Sea

Discovered on June 19th, 2011, this strange anomoly in the sea still doesn't have much of a proper explanation.  It was discovered when a Swedish based diving company was exploring the Baltic Sea looking for sunken treasures.  A strange image appeared on their sonar and something caused major interference with their instruments.  It appears to resemble the millenium falcon (think star wars) and it appears to have a crash landing track in the sea bed.  More study is needed to fully identify the object.

UFO over the Mojave Desert

September 9, 1985, an aviation pilot was out for a flight when he saw a strange cigar shaped object in the sky.    He snapped a picture of this object, of which no one has been able to devise an explanation for, even today.

UFO over Holloman Base

This cigar shaped ship was photographed in 1964, by a government employee over the Holloman Air Development center in New Mexico.  Either this is an alien ship or some experimental army drone, but I'm leaning toward the former.  Conspiracy theorists agree, stating this as a case that the government has been in contact with aliens for much longer than we thing.  (Perhaps we're still negotiating the release of hostages from the Roswell incident?)

Alien Encounter in Brazil

This is a video grab from footage taken in Manaus, Brazil.  The description of the footage claims that he is just hanging out in the jungle of brazil, just feet away from a flashing blue light.  Could this jungle have been his rest stop on a longer voyage?  Was he merely stretching his legs?  The world will never know.

Tarot and You

There are many forms of divination in the occultist followings, and my favorite is the Tarot Cards. Tarot cards are cards that, based upon their features such as facing direction, suit, arcana, numbers, and pictures, can depict the future.



There are many misconceptions about tarot cards such as they are devil inspired, can tell the complete future, or even that death literally does mean death. The cards are actually in line with you and your energy and can only tell six months into the future or the past, and the meanings of the cards are more symbolic than literal.



The first thing to know about tarot cards is how to connect with them. Some people believe that your cards have to be a gift to you, but I feel otherwise. When you are shopping around for a set of cards, you will want a set that speaks to you. I chose mine because every time I went to get a set, this set of cards continued to draw me in. (I shopped around for almost a year before getting a set - I'm one of those shoppers.) When you get your cards, you will want to charge them with your energy.



To charge a set of cards, meditate with them. Sit in a room with them and shuffle them, play with them, read them all. Get the feel for the cards. Do this for a little while each day to help create the bond. After a few days, do a few practice readings to help synchronize your energy with the cards. You will know this is happening by performing readings on questions you already know the answer to. When you store your cards, wrap them in a black cloth and keep them in your room or somewhere you are frequently.



When you perform a reading, you can use several different methods. The most popular is the Celtic Cross method. In this method, the cards reiterate to you what the question you are asking is, the forces around you and the events around you that have led to this situation, the events that will soon come (foreseeable future) and then the potential outcome if things stay on this path.

For a more in depth exploration of the Celtic Cross spread, click the picture!

There are two suits in the cards - the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana reflects the human experience through 22 different cards: Fool, Magician, Priestess, Empress, Emperor, Hierophant, Lovers, Chariot, Justice, Hermit, Fortune, Strength, Hanged Man, Death,Temperance, Devil, Tower,Star, Moon, Sun, Judgement, The World Arcana.



In my experience, when doing the Celtic Cross spread, these cards usually depict the situation in positions 1, 2, and 9. These cards represent closest the problem you are having and/or where you will go. For example, Death may be in position 1 if you are asking about your financial future after losing a job. Death would represent the end of the era of your position at work. Position 9 may hold the Fool, representing the beginning of your journey with a new job and new position.

The Minor Arcana consists of suits (pentacles, swords, cups, wands) and are numbered (1 through 10, then knave, knight, king and queen). The different suits of the different cards represent different elements of life. The cups represent water and also represent feelings (flowing like the ocean, etc.). The swords represent air, power and thought. The pentacles represent earth and earthly things (material goods, belongings, etc.) The wands represent fire and spirituality. Each specific card represents a certain meaning and you will want to look for patterns in these cards (a number that is reoccurring, a suit that is reoccurring, whether the cards are inverted or not, etc. This can also hold deeper meaning to the result of the reading.



The Major Arcana connects to the events that happen as a course of nature, but the Minor Arcana shows the course of human nature. (Big picture/little picture.)

Tarot cards are a great way to work on your meditation skills, get in touch with your spiritual side, or for some, just be silly. How you use your cards is inherently whatever is in your nature and how you choose to look at things. Check out Tarotpedia for more reading on cards.

When performing a reading, sit in a quiet room with no distractions. Take the deck in your hand, shuffle them until they feel complete (you will know this feeling after a while) and focus on your question. If your mind wanders, you will not get a very accurate answer - it will be as accurate as your mind was during your asking. Perform the desired layout and begin to translate what your inner consciousness is telling you. Depending on what is going on, you can take the reading with a grain of salt or you can take it seriously. It is completely up to you. I also recommend doing several readings of the same nature (ask the same questions) and see how the outcomes compare.

Morticia has been a fan of the esoteric since discovering the similarities between Celtic Paganism and Catholicism. She spends her time being awesome, mostly.

The History behind Vacations

As the summer winds to a close, many of us have either made that foray into the wide world of family vacations or are still planning that perfect way to cap off the dog days. Be it a road trip to strange roadside anomalies, a jet-setting getaway to some exotic locale, or even just a plain-jane few days around the house, vacation days in the summer months are part and parcel of the American experience. However, this was not always the case; paid vacation leave is a relatively new development in the business world, one that still creates controversy amongst economists and business leaders alike. So, in an effort to elucidate the origins of such a seemingly commonplace (and thereby taken for granted) element of our everyday lives, we here at Atmospheric Noise have taken it upon ourselves to shine that light upon the origins of our modern vacation.

Vacation, in the American sense, is in essence paid or unpaid leave from work in order to pursue leisurely or recreational activities. The term vacation comes to us from British legalese from the 17^th century, specifically referring to a period every year in which solicitors and judges took a break from the proceedings of court. Not surprisingly, this term (like most legal terms) comes from a Latin root word vacare, a verb meaning to empty. This same root word also spawned such terms as vacuum and vacant, for obvious reasons. So, in that sense, the American vacation is a corruption of its original meaning. Rather than vacation, the british use the term holiday as an analog.

The term holiday also has a storied and interesting history stretching back to the middle ages.  It comes to us from the Old English haligdaeg, which literally means holy day.  During the middle ages, workers of agrarian feudal estates were given precious few days away from the toil of field work. One type of day off for such workers was Sunday in observance of the Sabbath; others were the many Saints’ days that dot the Catholic calendar. Considering that there are far more saints than days of the year, time away from field and flock was a regular occurrence for medieval peasants. During such days, workers were expected to attend a mass and feast held at the local parish in honor of the saint. However, just like so many frat boys crowding into Fort Lauderdale for spring break, the peasants often fell to drinking and debauchery during their mandatory days off. The problem got so out of hand that local priests and monks often voiced voluminous complaints in their yearly records about the sorry behavior of the secular brethren. Alas, some things never change.

Skip a few hundred years into the future and we find a closer approximation of our idea of vacation. The US government formally recognized paid federal holidays in the 1870s. However, these holidays were confined to federal employees and didn’t have a noticeable impact on the everyday worker. During this same time frame, business leaders also employed paid time off as a means of enhancing productivity and retaining talent in the upper echelons of their enterprises. Again, these steps were confined to executives and their ilk; industrial and agrarian workers alike still had to endure long hours with little if any time to themselves or their families (and certainly not paid time off).  It wasn’t until the golden age of the American workers’ union during the early-to-mid- twentieth century that our concept of paid time off (as well as sick and bereavement leave, 40 hour work weeks, and overtime pay) for most American workers came to fruition in the 1940s. So, if you love getting overtime and vacation days, be sure to hug your union rep at the next possible opportunity.

Unfortunately, the push to make paid vacation time a mandatory benefit to be provided by all American employers fell through, though many European countries have these very laws codified into their legal and economic framework.  Paid vacation as a worker’s right is an issue still hotly debated today, with both sides of the American body politic holding fast to rigid views on cost/benefit analyses and vacation time’s effect on overall worker productivity.  However, regardless of political stripe, all of us would agree it sure is nice to take a few days away from work, home, and everything else and just get out of the same daily routine.  So if you haven’t planned that vacation yet you’d better start cracking; we’re running out of summer and we’ve a tradition to uphold.

About the Author:  Chad Steffens is a father, historian, and all around funny guy.  He graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Iowa with his educational focuses being History and Museum Studies.  In his free time, he enjoys playing music with his band, The Counterfeit Owls and hanging out with his children.