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View this newsletter online at: http://www.ghostvillage.com/newsletters/Sep09_03.htm
Dear Ghostvillagers,
Yesterday, while walking
through my local grocery store, I saw that the Halloween
decorations and candy are out and ready for
purchase. We're still almost two months away and already
the stores are trying to cash in on this increasingly
commercialized holiday. I'll be the last to complain,
because this is the time of year when ghosts and the
supernatural take center stage.
I really used to struggle with talking openly about my
interest in ghosts, folklore, and the supernatural.
Certainly I could always talk, chat, and email with my
fellow Ghostvillagers about my beliefs, but bar-room
buddies and co-workers were another thing -- after all,
some people would think I'm crazy!
In recent months, I've
come more to grips with what I do. When I meet someone new or an old friend who asks what I'm up to, I say,
"I research and write about ghosts and the
supernatural." Many times I get a laugh, or maybe a condescending
smile -- but then I ask a follow-up, "So you've never
personally had any unexplained experiences, or no one you
know has ever encountered something supernatural they
couldn't explain any other way?" The answer is
always, and I mean always, "Well... you know
there was this one time," or "I had this
uncle..."
The good news is that the retail sector of our economy has seen
fit to try and make an extended Halloween shopping season.
This means for the next two months we can talk more openly
about our interests with people who may not normally talk
about these kinds of spiritual things. If you think you
broached the subject with the wrong character, you always
have, "Just trying to get into the Halloween
spirit," to fall back on. You'll be excused until
November first.
We're gearing up for some big things this Halloween
season. First, within the next week or two,
Ghostvillage.com will be getting a complete face-lift.
We'll be adding a new section and a slicker interface.
Also, I'm interested in putting together a Spirit
Photography annual calendar. If you have taken a great
ghostly photograph and want it to be considered for our
calendar, please email it to me. You'll receive full
credit for your submission and a free copy of the calendar
if your photo is selected.
Our traffic tends to double the month or so before
Halloween, so be ready for a lot of cyber
"tourists" to our village. Please make them feel
welcome enough to stay the entire year! Enjoy the rest of
this month's newsletter below.
Supernaturally yours,
Jeff Belanger
info@ghostvillage.com
Mayor of Ghostvillage.com
Congratulations to John W. Harris of Aiken, South Carolina! John was last month's winner of an autographed copy of Laura Ruby's new book, Lily's Ghosts.
 The "winner" icon on the left has been hidden somewhere on Ghostvillage.com. If you're the first to find it, email us with the page it's on, and you win this month's
prize. The graphic could be on any page on the Web site -- maybe at the top of the page, maybe the bottom, etc. Once we have a winner, we will
announce it on our home page right away. By clicking on the "winner" icon within Ghostvillage.com, it should launch your email with the appropriate
subject. If not, email info@ghostvillage.com, and in the subject or body, put the URL of the page you found the icon on. Good luck!
 This month's
prize: a free one-year subscription to FATE
magazine (a $29.95 value)! Each month, FATE
brings you true reports of the strange and unknown. UFOs, ghosts, psychic phenomena, ancient mysteries, cryptozoology, and the paranormal since 1948.
Didn't win? Want to buy a subscription? Click on the graphic above.
Lot of events happening as we move into the busy Halloween season. We want to get to the point where if it's happening on the supernatural -- it's in our calendar. Our calendar is the place where thousands will learn about your events. The service is only available to registered members of the message boards. Here's some of what is going on in
September and early October:
Friday, September 12: Meeting: WV Penitentiary 03; Conference: Ghost Convention
Saturday, September 13: Conference: Mothman Festival
Friday, September 19: Meeting: Mansfield Reform.
Sunday, September 21: Holiday: MABON
Tuesday, September 23: Holiday: LAYLATUL MERAAJ
Thursday, September 25: Conference: AIP at Sea
Friday, September 26: Conference: AIP at Sea
Saturday, September 27: Conference: Paranormal Expo; Conference: AIP at Sea; Holiday: ROSH HASHANA
Sunday, September 28: Holiday: ROSH HASHANA
Friday, October 3: Meeting: Elkton Ghost Walk
Monday, October 6: Holiday: YOM KIPPUR
| Who's Who in the Town Square? |
Get to know some of your fellow
Ghostvillagers...
 >>Rockhauler2k1<<
What is your name?
Ron Hughes
How old are you?
39
Where are you from?
Maryland
What first got you interested in the supernatural?
I've always been an inquisitive person by nature. My interest in paranormal events stems from that part of
my character, more than likely. I've always been
interested in the unknown on all levels but decided to
focus on hauntings about 12 years ago. I personally
believe that too many people close their eyes too
easily and too often to things that go bump in the night. I've always been the type with the need to look
when everyone else looks away. As a society, we
haven't even begun to scratch the surface of a subject
that is often left unstated and undone. Death is
simply a part of life. It is certain we will all face
that point one day. I would like to know what's in
store for us before we take the journey.
Can you give some tips on taking good spirit photography?
If I could choose one topic in photography to focus on, it would be lighting. Good lighting is critical to
good photography. The need to go investigating in the dark
is silly to me unless it serves some other purpose.
If a place is active, it is active during the day as
well as in the dark. The chances of getting better
results occur at dusk and late daylight hours due to
the lighting conditions. Fall and early winter produce
better outdoor photography due to the lack of haze
found in summer months (via humidity and the pesky bugs and pollen of spring). The background tends to be
clearer and crisper during fall and early winter, which
usually produces better results overall.
As far as equipment, I choose a Nikon N60 35mm SLR
over digital, although I do use an Olympus 3000 Zoom
as a backup source in my work. Digital photography is
still in its infancy as far as truly understanding
results and effects. I recently posted a thread in
Spiritography about the reproduction of effects often
thought to be of a paranormal nature but are not. I
can't say enough about the usefulness of comparison.
I really enjoy photography and have been doing it as a
hobby for nearly 22 years. I develop black and white
film myself and have dabbled in color work over the
years as well. I love all aspects of photography.
One of the most misunderstood gifts that people
overlook about all forms of photography is that by
using a camera, you can freeze a moment in time and
look back at it for many years to come. Photos
contain our lives and the things in which we see
beauty. You can tell much about a person by the
pictures they shoot. It's a true gift to be able to see
the beauty of the world through another person's eyes,
and that's what photography allows us to do.
Given your years of study in this field, do you think society is getting more open about discussing the supernatural?
Absolutely. As a society, we have grown leaps and bounds
over the last decade and have become much more open-minded. People seem to be questioning traditional
beliefs more and more as time goes by. As a society,
we seem to be much more comfortable with the topic of
death today versus 25 years ago. This is likely due to
the flood of information available to us such as the Internet (BIG ONE), magazines, newspapers,
etc.
Death is certain, life is a gift, and we should treat
it as such.
Ghostvillage.com's book reviewer, Lee
Prosser, has brought us four new book reviews for August! Have you read one of these books? Want to add your own review? Click
>>here<<.
August's Book Reviews:
 Future Prospects of The World According to the Bible Code by Joseph Noah
New Daughters of the Oracle: The Return of Female Prophetic Power in Our Time by Virginia Adair
Conversations With Eternity: The Forgotten Masterpiece of Victor Hugo by Victor Hugo, John Chambers, and Martin Ebon
Dunwich's Guide to Gemstone Sorcery: Using Stones for Spells, Amulets, Rituals, and Divination by Gerina Dunwich 
| Legends of the Supernatural |
Since our last newsletter, the following columns have run:
The Ghosts and Legends of Juneau's Alaskan Hotel - The locals speak about their ghostly neighbors - September 6, 2003
A Glimpse of the Afterlife: Near-Death Experiences - An interview with best-selling author Dr. Raymond Moody - August 23, 2003
Gargoyles: Sacred Scarecrows - A look at the history and folklore behind these gruesome sculptures - August 9, 2003
If you know of a publication that may be interested in
running this column, drop me a line for pricing information. >>email<<
We are receiving a record number of personal encounters from all over the world. It's amazing how the similarities and profound nature of these experiences can cross nations, cultures, and different religious backgrounds. If you would like
to share your own experience, please click >>here<<. The following encounters have been added in August:
The Haunting That Follows - Norman, Oklahoma
Woman's Mocking Laugh - York, Pennsylvania
Evil Apartment - Phoenix, Arizona
Troubled House Spirits - Mount Sterling, Kentucky
Gabrielino Indian Family of Spirits - Pico Rivera, California
Capital Memorial Parks Cemetery Mausoleum Visits - Pflugerville, Texas 
Spillway Light - Cave Run Lake, East Kentucky
Rafter Man at Summer Camp - Dahlonega, Georgia
Winnipeg's Haunted Fort Garry - Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Our >>Supernatural Auction<< has a lot of ghost hunting equipment, books, and videos on it right now.
Check out these new and used products today! If you have a product or service to sell, remember, basic listings are still free -- you have no risk in trying to sell your items on our auction.
New members receive $1.00 credited to their account -- this credit can be used for the extras such as bold listings. This supernatural marketplace is a great way to connect with
people who are interested in your products and services.
Since our last newsletter, the following people have joined us in the Town Square.
Please welcome:
ghosthuntress16,
Brianne,
DWArmstrong,
mysticaldragonfly,
char_2595,
Slayer213,
isosceles_zen,
Tracy,
Grimmaldi,
beekers,
onemoftwo,
JohnPiper,
tweak,
fallenangel18,
FallenAngel1155,
TaShY323,
key2midnight,
bzzzcat,
clark,
DEANNA,
Jennifer9771,
boundspirit,
wolfgirl136,
Granny,
netgirl01,
KarenSue1973,
DarkChild40,
laprincesa,
laprincesa79,
DarkStar1237,
mingsstar,
devil_child_200369,
mjking4ever,
lollapaulalooza,
babyghosthunter,
Astara,
lilghosty,
kequinoxe,
lilghosty1,
reese58,
Nichole0469,
iceiiiis,
Gabrial,
E.wilcox,
long-red-nailz,
Randy_Neutron,
shellandjess,
ANNIE,
beezerboy,
Teenie,
DRIGraphics,
Blebo1,
funkyfresh,
bigmainvane,
ghostandyroe,
WilliamHilton,
NineBeanRows,
ltinnel,
ghostlovergirl,
fynmara,
Saltimbanco,
spiritboards,
Flaca,
Crows,
gouliegirl777,
irishwaif,
pheoebe,
pheoebe05,
icelady3469,
Archamichael58,
SC_Michael,
Sc077y,
hellohello,
crushonamandabynes,
bsandromeda,
wildsunflower2003,
blondiegrl149,
himthere,
snickerdoodle,
Cher,
heathwitch,
Maurice,
parapsyse_agrs,
Herman,
chez,
HobbitGhost3350,
MORTICAN,
kimmieG,
bobo,
liaroses18,
Cire,
kelly79,
kitten,
meshew2002,
fadebeforelight,
cyberxkitty,
Sylvirwolf,
springtonTx,
springtownTX,
psychicdreamer,
daisy_grl_7,
strigoi,
T-Buck,
Ghostie,
alosa1066,
valeriev,
marlowe,
ghosty__bug,
paul.robins,
OrbitJuice,
Primula,
bodhi,
Wiccad1,
charlie,
missajolly,
Ghostfriend,
bubba,
aisu,
browneyegirl,
WaskerleyWells,
Alva75,
witchhunter,
angel85,
darkspirithaunting,
Redbone,
minx,
Wonder,
steveg81,
yoginchelle,
Andrew,
billeric,
CC,
aseekings,
rpate23,
FreddyK,
dark_avenger,
bogeydude_duh,
tilly,
wiccawoman62,
Bridget,
_bright_shadow_,
KELLIEC32,
phalynx,
Majestic,
lor,
petunia4998,
myladypate,
Kristellseas,
dolorosa,
Anerlin,
audrey,
lee_11,
deadlyavenger,
mushupork,
WhyteWatcher,
nat,
scarlet_termite,
palm4me,
lindzray,
hauntedinontario,
angelkisses0199,
solarblur,
Linda_H,
archangel7295,
mudhugs,
zee,
drummer36,
MarlaMigs,
aquariusiscariot,
LoneFeather,
angel81702,
BigG,
MatthewG,
wilkins,
kayliepoo,
gwen,
Harmony,
Raven1962,
Flaka04,
al_hot_tamale, mkp78, GHOST_GIRL, Jaime1976, princess0723, Stella, upsideover1884, sipernatural_teen1, wildnewcherrie, Ysgawen, Ladyofthelake40, and dbl.
| Ghostvillage.com Quick Stats: |
25,546 Messages in the Town
Square Message Boards
2,163 Members in the Town
Square
57 "Encounters"
listed in 2003 so far
308 Paranormal Web sites in the Ghost
Search directory
4,827 Subscribers to this newsletter
1,527,788 total Web site "hits" for Ghostvillage.com in
July
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Please email us anytime at info@ghostvillage.com.
Your comments, questions, and feedback are always welcomed.
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