On this occasion of Halloween I thought it would be interesting to relate three interesting occurrences in my life that could be attributed to the occult or something else. The human mind is very good at rationalizing occurrences that happen that don't seem to have a rational explanation. Hence, these three anecdotes. (I have a video of the white cat [link below], but none of the black cat yet. Will post when I get one)
The Crow on the Cover of Seven Fires
Ghosts
I have lived in this house 34 years on reclaimed bayou swampland. There is no evidence that there was anything here before except, perhaps, farmland. If there were any structures here in the past it might be part of the history of the area that was used at some point for dairy farming. The nearest graveyard that still exists is about 5 miles away.
Since recovering from pneumonia and related surgery in December 2012, I have experienced a phenomenon that I haven't before, occasionally in recent years, but not lately. Just in that half sleep fog of waking up or going to sleep, I would see a person, fully clothed in colorful clothing, of various ages and both sexes, sometimes up close at my bedside and sometimes at the foot of my bed. They appeared while others, my attendants were also in the room. However, while quite clear, these images did not last when I opened my eyes fully, although I'd remember them quite clearly and probably could have drawn them if I did it right away. All my life I've had strangers in my dreams and nightmares, but nothing quite like this. Immediately upon reading this, some would say that these are ghosts. I would say they are part of my brain's amazing creativity, seen only in my mind's eye.
Along the same lines during my working years, I would come home to find the French door to my dining room off the deck occasionally open. Always concerned that perhaps I was burglarized, I never found anything missing. Eventually, I realized that it was usually storming that day or very windy and figured that the door had been blown open. That door has a well-worn handle and mechanism. If the handle is left down and not pulled back up, it will close, but it will not latch. The slightest breeze will push it open. Just the other day, I was sitting here writing at this computer and I heard the door unlatch and come open with a slight and eerie sound. It could be my tenant or someone else coming through the door, but when I looked, there was no one. I know it wasn't a ghost, but I could see people thinking and believing that it was.
I have no ghosts in my house, but if I were fearful or overly imaginative I could certainly conjure some up, especially since the Mayan fertility symbol (made of straw) that I had hanging in the corner of my room all these years suddenly fell to the floor, perhaps while I was reading about the Mayans in National Geographic at the time.
Black Cats
For many years my neighbors, cat lovers, have sent their cats exploring in my yard. The king (or queen) of all of these was a beautiful white angora (video) that just seemed to have a regal way about it as it ventured into my backyard occasionally for many years. For as long as the cat came, it could've been generations of white cats for all I know. Lately, I haven't seen the white cat although I saw it last year staying close to the neighbor's front yard most of the day. Maybe in old age.
We have been feeding birds with the birdfeeder every day for about three years. Cats would come and go while stalking those birds in the process. In late summer, a newcomer, a skinny black cat who may have been only half grown, appeared and began stalking all manner of birds, lizards, cockroaches, and grasshoppers. In fact, early on, I believe I saw him (or her) briefly carry a dove out of sight through a hole in the fence. I don't pay that much attention to what has become a daily ritual for that black cat to stalk my backyard for anything moving and potential food. I'm not sure in traversing around my house whether that cat has crossed my path and is giving me bad luck, but things have been falling apart around here recently requiring a lot of repairs.
Still, I don't believe in silly superstitions and except for the birds, I'm not scared of that little cat. Although, when I rap on the window, he jumps in fright and takes off for the nearest hiding place.
Crows
While my backyard is periodically the scene of resting, bathing and feeding birds of many kinds, I have never seen a crow… That is, until about two weeks ago. That was about the time when I received Brian S. Goodson's novel, Seven Fires, first printed proof copy that I have published for him since he died August 8. To my artist's surprise, I had to inform him that he had titled the book on the spine "Seven Stars." The cover would have to be redone along with the galley proof to the POD printer.
I looked up momentarily from working or reading and saw a crow on my back fence. The crow looked around from side to side as if examining my yard and me and then hopped briefly to my apricot tree and descended to our birdbath. This crow was not interested in a bath. It had apparently flown a great distance and began to drink from the water over and over and over again, many times with a great thirst. Finally quenched, the crow hopped up on the fence once again for a few moments and then flew off, never to return.
In Seven Fires, an ancestor in the form of a crow, guides an Indian nation through a terrible nuclear war and ultimate victory over invaders and other threats. This crow is a powerful spiritual figure in the book. Was it merely a coincidence that the crow came at the same time the book with the bad cover did? I believe so. The corrected copy arrived three days ago. I have not seen that or another crow.
I don't believe in omens from coincidences like these. Everything has an explanation. When we fear things and create stories around them claiming they are not what they seem, we are believing in our own delusions. All three of these circumstances are fun to observe and report here. But there is no harm done to me and my family because of their happening.
Not sure if you were trying to convince the reader or yourself, Ron. Ha. I have many coincidences in my life, also, but prefer to think of them as small miracles or God's presence nearby or maybe his angels. This just seems more comforting for me instead of the more practical scientific explanations. Gypsy
I do not believe in coincidences. I do believe in spirits, the afterlife, and I did dream interpretations for years in a yahoo group. Everything that you dream, see, feel, read, hear, touch, etc. has a meaning for you. I can see the same thing as you but the meaning for me will never be the same as the meaning for you. I have so many stories about things that happened with my dolls, it's uncanny. There are some things that can never be explained. I enjoyed your story. Especially about the crows.
You use your experiences to make a valid point but, still, I beg to differ. For while they may well have had a rational reason for being, there have been a few of my own that defied it. To comfort myself I am the type to deal with my fear by understanding whatever caused it. Ninety-five percent of the time the cause is tangible. But there remains that pesky five percent that simply can't be explained. As hard as I work to find explanations for things that go bump in the night, I confess that I'm gratified when an explanation can't be found.
In Ghosts, the 2nd paragraph, first and second sentences, are constructed such that I had to reread them. There must be a better way to get your point across. In Black Cats, I have never had any of my feline loving friends let a cat out with the intent of exploring a neighbors yard. I find things dealing with omens to be very interesting and fun to read. When I read Crows I thought about omens I heard in my youth i.e. The Raven is a harbinger of death if you see one. I have to admit I like to visit various author's web sites. I went to yours and found a large variety of things to read and see. I found your Ghost joke about the drunk to be a golden nugget. My wife and I had a good laugh. Thank you.
Thank you, it is very interesting in your home and around, no doubt. Love the way you wrote it up and caution the reader not to read too much into it. Really loved the crow story, that is indeed a huge coincidence. Makes one wonder...
I am of the opinions that there are actually spirits and omens, etc. in our world that may attach themselves to us or parts of things we own. Who knows what your menagerie in your backyard was.
Very interesting read. Yes, everything has an explanation, although we all may not agree what that explanation may be. That said, I don't believe in ghosts. John
Oh! Superstitions...........well, you should have known my mother!!! She remained rather Pagan and passed so very much on to me. My father, a staunch Lutheran, passed a lot on to me as well. Your omens are, indeed, omens, I believe. That black crow did it! Yes, crows have that "caw" that gets your attention for a reason. The people you are "seeing" must have been curious beings on the other side of the membrane that must have had a momentary "rip" in it. I could go on. Anyhow, your mind's eye is dynamic!!
Tasked by his Goddess to find, relocate, and then quicken, the last three Heart Tree gem-seeds, Vanx the bard, and his motley crew of adventurers, set out to do just that.
