Fairy Thorns: Interview w/Barry Fitzgerald

Many believe that cutting down an old tree brings bad luck--if not the wrath--of the elemental spirits. I once heard a story about how a community refused to let a developer cut one down for fear of retribution from the sidhe. Even on a recent investigation, we noticed that there might be a connection between some activity and an old, very large tree that was cut. I thought I'd ask Barry about them:

"The Fairy thorn--as they are known--are places that are and should remain sacred. Farmers are known to have removed these only to result in bad luck follow. In 1989 a power station was relocated in Kilkeel Co Downfor fear of moving a fairy thorn that had already claimed four broken legs that week.

I thought I would explain some more superstition about the trees. In 1982, a lady from No. Ireland by the name of Isobel Dawson contemplated the removal of a fairy thorn in her back garden but later changed her mind in fear of the consequences. Later while weeding around the tree she lifted a stone and found not only her lost wedding ring but other items of jewellery that had gone missing over the course of time and she was then convinced she had been rewarded for sparing the fairies favourite place.

Also in 1982 a fairy thorn stood in Blythe Street in Belfast seemed condemned to be knocked as the whole area was scheduled for redevelopment and all the homes were being destroyed. It is important to remember you don't even cut branches from these trees as it brings bad luck. The local housing authority listened to the residents and the tree was spared and now is the centre of a plantation in the community.But lest we forget many fairies are not necessarily for good luck. An old wives tale says that to show them disrespect, even inadvertently, could spell disaster.

Belief in nature spirits in North and South of Ireland is taken very seriously by some, but where did they come from? The 'Slaugh Sidhe' or translated 'People of the mounds' (Note, if you guys are coming over inNovember I have a mound lined up, its one of the more serious mounds sobeware.) but their origins are a matter for debate. In early celtic times they were identified as elemental spirits who were seen and respected as powerful gaurdians of the natural world. In early Christian times they were thought to be fallen angels who had fallen from grace, but not that far that they were doomed to hell. They were reported to have degrees of good and evil, but could never be redeemed.

They were also labelled to be descendants of the Tuatha Da Danaan, who were a god-like race from Greece and contended with the inhabitants of Ireland for the right to rule the land. A compromise was struck and the Tuatha De Danaan were granted the right to rule the underground and the waters including certain pools, (For example Loch Sheelin beside Ross Castle) and trees and bushes. A particular favourite haunt would be a lone Hawthorn bush, known locally as a Skeogh of Fairy thorn. (A townland beside me were locals live is also called Skeogh) These are particularly unusual due to their twisted branches and lonely locations."

Elementals: Interview with Barry Fitzgerald

I thought I'd ask Barry about elementals--which are something you might encounter while out in the field. Not to be confused with demons, elementals seem to have more of a connection with nature and beliefs about them can be found in cultures worldwide. In Ireland, for instance, there is a very strong cultural tradition involving elementals and you get a sense that there is truth to the legends. I asked him to talk about it for Ghosthunter L:

L: What is an elemental?
B: Elementals are creatures that dwell within the spirit realm of the elements, that simply means they are here & now but in a far different way than we can comprehend. Elementals are related to nature spirits that govern all nature some would believe. I have problems with that one. Earth spirits are known as Gnomes, Air spirits as Sylphs, Firespirits as Salamanders, and Water spirits are called Undines and inside these headings much the same as ghosts you will have layers of others.

L: What makes them different from other "spirits"?
B: I assume this is the spirits of humans you are relating too. Humans have been born, lived and died in this form of reality, they have not. On occasions it is possible for the two in their complete forms to mingle and this presents its own problems as they usually try and get you to go with them. In Ireland I will show you a doorway to one of these worlds.

L: What can cause an elemental to be present?
B: Elementals are present, as answered in question one but you must be referring to their physical presence. Usually there are invocations thatcan call these forward but I strongly suggest this is not done. I'm aware of a house were three Fire Elementals were called forward and they actually split the concrete foundations and walls of the property and the men were bounced off the walls. The fire elementals are the strongest of them all and hate to be told what to do and are hard to control. Someone who is very wise about the Paganism or Wiccan work may be able to call one forward. Care needs to be taken when calling theaid of elementals. Elementals are not always the helpful little creatures we'd like them to be, and can be mischievous, bad tempered little devils if allowed to get out of control.

L: What can stir them up?
B: Arrogance, destructive human traits in relation to their homes and the natural environment. Cornering one, not a good thing to do.

L: Is there any way to get them out of the location?
B: Yes there are things that can be done, more research can be gained from the Ancient Druids of America.

L:What makes them almost dangerous compared to other spirits?
B: Other spirits have not got the ability to control local enviromental condtitions, such as those in Leap and the Paris Catacombs. The Atmosperic pressures can cause heart failure, the salamanders can burn your property and the list goes on.

Barry Fitzgerald of Shrouded Steps--Ireland

Today seems like the perfect day to talk about Ireland.

In November 2004, my group--DCMAG--travelled there to check out some haunted places in the Midlands. As far as we know, we are the first American group to have done an investigation at Leap Castle. You can find out more info about that on the main site.

Our host was Barry Fitzgerald, who heads up Shrouded Steps haunted tours. Barry has travelled all over Europe in search of haunted and paranormal places. From the catacombs of Paris to the blood cults of Eastern Europe, Barry has experienced it and is very knowledgeable. He's also very funny and lots of fun to be around.

Make sure you keep checking back because for the next few entries, I will talk about my experiences while there and I have interviews with Barry about elemental entities.

EVP-tastic

The house in Elkton is a great spot for EVPs. We played them for the family through speakers and you could actually hear whispering in the background. As I've said in previous posts, we've had names, responses and giggling. On one of mine from the most recent investigation, there are two separate responses going on. I'm hoping to have it cleaned up and maybe I'll post it.

Elkton Post-Follow Up Investigation

It was much quieter this time. Since we were so successful with EVPs the last time, we ran a good amount of them. We had motion detectors set up and they did go off and no one was at that end of the house. Our science guy's a geologist and checked out the rocks outside to determine if they were local or imported and if they could've been used for a house's foundation.

I thought I heard footsteps going away from my end down the hall. I had the dog run up and down the hall to re-create it. It sounded similar, but the owners said the dog was in the room with them all night and they closed the door to keep her from doing that. We also checked the toilet to see if it could flush by itself and there was no way. It just wasn't built like that. I'll just have to chalk that up to the unexplained for right now.

Their 13-year old was present this time and told me about her experience seeing the apparition of a little girl. "I was taking the laundry upstairs and she was just standing there. It was pretty freaky and scary." I told her that I can imagine as it's always unnerving to actually see a ghost.

The family was very nice and their kids are great. The daughter was a little spooked by it all, but bore up well. Their son was like having a jr. ghosthunter. Very into it and helpful. I really enjoyed myself.

Going Back: Elkton

We're going back to the Elkton investigation for a follow-up. That one was pretty active so we'll see how it/they respond to a return visit. Their 13-year old daughter will be present this time (last time she was like, "Heck no, I'm staying with a friend.") It'll be interesting to see if her energy affects things.

What am I talking about? There are many theories that young women (or men) just hitting puberty have an emotional energy that seems to attract spirits like magnets. It's also said that they can create the disturbances themselves--such as in the case of poltergeists. I don't know how true or false that is, but it's definitely something to take into account--especially since her room is considered the most active in the home.

History-wise, I haven't found anything about the neighborhood in particular yet. The town itself used to be called "Head of Elk" and became Elkton in 1787. Due to its location on the water, it became a trading town whose population increased with the coming of the railroad in 1837. The challenges for me become: 1.) finding the previous owners or former houses on that location, and 2.) finding out if there was a road that original ran through their property.

I'll keep you posted on how this goes.

Post-Overnighter: Elkton

Great family. Former ghosthunters themselves. Got some great EVP. The spirits giggled and said names--inc. that of the former owner of the home. Their daughter's room is the most active. Guess who got to sleep in there overnight by herself? Yup. You guessed it. I noticed that even though the room was physically cold, the temperature was no different than the rest of the house. I found that pretty odd. As the night went on the room got colder and colder, and I slept pretty badly.

It is near the main bathroom and at one point, I heard quick light footsteps going down the hallway and once I heard the toilet flush. I thought it was their 9-year old son, but my group leader said he never woke up all night. He thought it was me. I never left my room last night. Our other team member was sleeping in the living room and we don't believe it was him. It wasn't the steady, heavier footsteps of an adult we heard. The other thing is that I only heard the footsteps moving away from me, not coming down the hall towards the bathroom.

We think that there might be a military or sailor ghost. He's been there since before they moved in, but we think that when they put out their son's Navy photo the spirit started to show himself around that time. Perhaps he felt a connection? We definitely believe now that there's a little girl. We also think that due to the size and actions of the third, they're dealing with an earth elemental. A large, old tree was cut down in their backyard. In places such as Ireland, doing such is believed to stir up the sidhe (faerie folk) or earth elementals. A construction site was once halted because of belief of repercussions of cutting an old tree. I'll talk about elementals another time.

My job? We found evidence of old foundations. What was it? What else was on that land? Who are these spirits? A ghost historian's job is never done.

Overnighter Tonight

We've got an overnight investigation in Elkton, MD tonight. I haven't done an overnighter in months, so I'm excited. Most of our investigations end by midnight, which I've always felt is too early, so being able to be in a haunted location all night is good. It's a private residence with a familly of four. Possibly 2 entities: a male and a little girl.

I'll keep you posted.

Family Support

Someone once asked me what my family thinks about my ghosthunting. Well, they find it pretty interesting. It's kind of funny really, because I would jokingly describe them as "fundamentalist Baptists", LOL, religious enough that they probably should be up-in-arms about it, but they're not. The "interesting" part is that my family has had a history through the generations of "sensitives" and familiarity with ghosts/spirits. It has never been a secret or something spoken about in hushed tones. It's just an accepted fact. It makes it easy for me to talk about investigations or theories with them because of it, especially with my great-aunt.

See, they don't have a problem with ghosts, just the concept of ghosthunting. I know they support me wholeheartedly, but it makes them a little nervous. I can understand that. "Why do you want to look for them when they seem to find you just fine?" my grandmother once asked me. I don't know..why wouldn't I?

Been a While...

It's been a while since my last post.

My group leader got hit by a car and broke his leg. It's safe to say he wasn't able to make our presentation at the Decatur House. It went well though and they told us it was the largest turnout for any public program they've ever had. I enjoyed talking to the groups about the hauntings and how history plays a part in trying to determine what was going on.

We're in the middle of a slow period right now, which is OK for me because I can focus on other things again before it picks up. I have an overnighter in MD coming up which should be pretty interesting. I'll keep you posted.

No You May Not

I don't know about other groups and I'd love their opinion, but I know that our group gets a lot of email from folks asking if they can go on investigation with us. The simple answer is "No." I'd say other serious investigators, maybe. The average person out there wanting adventure and excitement ghost-style. No.

You'd just be surprised how little people pay attention to notices on websites. I'm pretty helpful and don't mind answering questions and helping students with papers and stories. But, when you have a notice saying we're not accepting new members and investigations aren't open, it's always a little like "Whaaa?" when people ask anyway.

Guess it can't hurt to ask, huh?

EMF Meters & Other Gripes

Why why why when you watch ghost shows are they waving EMF meters around like crazy and counting the 0.1 fluctuations? 0.2 to 0.3 to 0.2 doesn't impress anybody. Start talking if it's significant already!

Also, why do most paranormal folks that they interview look well, not to offend anybody, almost crazy? I mean, like weirdo-I-never-leave-my-house-normally crazy? That goes for all of the I-touched-an-electrical-socket-haired psychics waving their arms around in front them too. If you've watched as many ghost shows as I have, you all know exactly the folks that I'm talking about. It's almost becoming a cliche. I mean, it's pretty hard to get people to believe what you're talking about if you look crazy.

OK...I'm done with my rant of the day, LOL. Just had to let all of that out.

GW Hatchet Article

I was glad to do an interview for my alma mater's newspaper--the GW Hatchet--and was impressed by the questions that she asked. Some of them were better than ones I've been asked in the past by the professionals, lol.

Today's That Day

Happy Halloween Everyone!

I was recently asked if there are more ghosts out and about on Halloween. One of the legends of this holiday is that yes, there would be, but in reality--I believe that ghosts are active year-round. If anything, Halloween puts ghosts and the paranormal in the consciousness of the general public. Other than that, you're just as likely to see them at Thanksgiving as you are on Halloween.

That Time of Year

Halloween is like Christmastime for ghosthunters--our busiest time of year in terms of the public eye. In my case, DCMAG is working with the Decatur House Museum, doing investigations there and giving a presentation on Thursday.

To answer my earlier questions, the 3rd floor was once all bedrooms, but there were never very many people in the house at a time as it was primarily a residence for lavish parties. As for the slave pen, still looking for definite evidence. The staff believes there is confusion between Lafayette Square's pens and the Decatur House having one although John Gadsby, a former owner, was a notorious trader. There's a legend about the window being bricked up and supposedly that was part of the original design. The back door he supposedly slips out of is the one that leads to the courtyard. Those motion detectors were off both times, so they wouldn't make any noises on their own and we couldn't move around with them on. Hmm. Tomorrow I get to talk to the maintenance staff--one who's worked there for 25 years--who seem to have had more sightings than anyone else.

Who said being a historian was boring? LOL.

Debunking and Proving

We are returning to the Decatur House Museum for a follow-up investigation. As DCMAG's Historian, what I focused on last time were the staff's experiences and the general lore of the house. I am also looking at the layout and construction of the home, as I also need to ID hotspots. We know, for instance, that the 3rd floor seems to be active. The thing I need to figure out now is why. What did the 3rd floor used to be and who would've been its primary inhabitants?

Here is an interesting thing...there is the story of a maintenance man rushing in from the courtyard saying that he felt as if chased and heard the sound of chains. Last visit, a staffer told us of the possibility of slaves being sold in that area. I did some research recently. Not only were the grounds on Lafayette Square in front of the building notorious for their slave pens, but supposedly there was one located at the Decatur House itself. Did the maintenance man encounter the spirit of a slave? Who knows? If anything, the historic research would actually support the man's claim.

My biggest questions right now are:

1. More about the slaves, courtyard and slave quarters of the house
2. More about the women of the household
3. The legends of the bricked up window & the back door sightings
4. Do the motion detectors make noises on their own?

Back in the States

Yup, I know it's been a while. I've been overseas for 3 weeks roaming all over Spain, London, & Paris. It was a great trip, and pretty cool to see all of these places that are probably haunted as hell. I can only imagine what in the world the yeomen at the Tower of London see from time to time, or priests working at Notre Dame. Notre Dame was the only place that had me lightheaded like crazy. It's just thick there. Wish I had some equipment.

Europe is also a good example of how orbs may not be orbs. Almost every picture I took--especially in Spain where it's dustier and drier--had orbs in them.

When I was in Ireland, staying in those castles, I swear there was some weird stuff going on--but that's a story for another posting...

BOO-b Tube

Ha-HA! Couldn't resist...

The TV world has never been able to resist a good paranormal show, but lately they are everywhere. The paranormal's never been hotter. There are still the great documentary-style shows that come on like Haunted Travels, Haunted History, Unexplained Mysteries, and all those other haunting specials that come on the Discovery channels and A&E during Halloween season. Hit shows Ghost Hunters (SciFi) and Medium (NBC) are returning and will be entering their 2nd seasons. Riding on the popularity of those two shows are a fresh bumper crop of supernatural shows:

1. Supernatural (WB): Two brothers hunting "the thing" that killed their mom as well as their missing "hunter" dad and encountering some strange stuff along the way. Pretty fun show.
2. The Ghost Whisperer (CBS): Jennifer Love Hewitt doing the Medium thing. Hmm...I dunno. Will have to watch and let you know despite the many guys out there who must be saying "Don't you say nothin' about my Jennifer Love Hewitt!"
3. Nightstalker (ABC): A detective starts investigating crimes that seem supernatural in nature
4. Most Haunted (Travel): Relatively new to the U.S., this British import goes to different haunted spots in Europe with a team--the host (who my group members love to imitate) screaming all the way.

These are the ones that deal more with the paranormal as their focus. Speaking of screaming, there's Scariest Places on Earth, which drives me nuts because some female member of the family always ends up having a 5-min. nonstop screaming total meltdown. There are also shows like Psychic Detectives (CourtTV), Lost (ABC) or even Charmed (WB), with paranormal elements and Invasion (ABC) and Threshold (CBS), which are more alien-focused (not my thing at all).

Happy watching, you couch potatoes!

Ghosthunter Chic

Hmm...now there's a topic that's probably not brought up too often. As a ghosthunter, clothes aren't "necessarily" something on your mind during an investigation, yet as a female ghosthunter, it brings up interesting issues--esp. if you're used to being relatively fashionable in your "normal" life. I don't wear khakis or cargos or polo/golf shirts, yet this is my ghosthunting uniform. I'm usually climbing up into attics (although I'm scared of heights), on the floor, and up & down stairs a lot--I'm pretty active on investigations.

There are other weird little considerations too, especially since we'll be filming occasionally for The Haunteds project. Things like wearing makeup out in the country when you're being swarmed by gnats. Makeup or no makeup? I went without and boy, it shows, lol. I always feel a little frumpy on investigations. I have long hair so I wear it ponytailed. No scented products as I pick up on paranormal smells a lot (perfume, cigars, etc.). No dangling earrings or jewelry that would resemble being touched. You often look at investigation photos like, "That's what I looked like?" LOL.

If anything, the biggest things to consider are professionalism, comfort, warmth (or coolness), how dirty you'll get (and I've been in some pretty dirty dusty locations), and pockets. Definitely pockets. Haute couture for the discerning ghost hunter...

Decatur House

We just did an investigation at the Decatur House last night, a famously haunted historical site in D.C. (and one of my favorites) located across from the White House. I've been waiting for years for a chance to investigate it. The dream home of Commodore Stephen Decatur and his wife Susan, their lives together were cut short when he was mortally wounded in a duel. It has had at least 3 main family owners: the Decaturs, the Gadsby family and the Beale family with many illustrious tenants. During the Civil War, it was a Union warehouse and offices. It was the first and last privately owned residence on Lafayette Square.

A beautiful, deceptively large place, and two staff members, the director and her daughter and their two husbands were present. As you know from my last posting, I'm always concerned when there are lots of other folks present, but in contrast to that other investigation, the place is so well soundproofed that you couldn't hear a thing from one floor to the next. The group was very quiet and conscientious about letting us do our thing--which I know I appreciated. They were excited and active participants in the investigation and I found out a lot about staff experiences there. It was pretty active and we got some great EVP. If anything, having the Decatur House staff there helped to serve as validation for the EVPs as they heard and reacted to the noises as well.