Haunted Links
These links that follow to outside websites do not necessarily represent the opinion of Laura Brose, nor are they in any way under my editorial control. They are just links to websites I think may be interesting, helpful, or thought-provoking to anyone who wants to read and learn more about the supernatural.
The Staten Island Paranormal Society is not in any way affiliated with me, but from what I've seen of them, they are truly interested in Staten Island's stories of the supernatural, have made an effort to investigate these stories and have organized well-thought out tours of some sites which are safe for the public and known for being haunted. I have been on their Haunted Snug Harbor tour and highly recommend it. Their website's forum is lively and well-done.
I tried to get involved with EPIC paranormal, which has an investigative team based here in Staten Island, but sadly, it has just been bad timing for me. However, I find their rigorous, skeptical approach needed and refreshing. I am not in any way involved with Scared! (formerly Scared on Staten Island, a well-liked public access cable show) and though I salute their efforts to inform the public about the haunted places of Staten Island, I do not recommend some of the "cowboy" behavior depicted in the public access cable episodes.
It's no suprise that Staten Island's geographical neighbor produced Weird NJ, in view of the fact that some of Staten Island's oldest stories of the supernatural involve a suspected witch sailing down Old Place or Newton's Creek in Mariner's Harbor while "fiends" providing a reception committee on the opposite shore in New Jersey made loud noises. What has been a suprise has been the worldly success of the Weird NJ publishers: expanding from New Jersey to the USA and from a "zine" to a regularly produced publication, to a series of books to television! Way to go!
And now for some light reading on witches, magic, and the paranormal in general...
A digital reproduction of a book from the early days of movable type printing, the works of Cornelius Aggrippa on magic are well worth reading if you want to understand the theory behind sorcery as it was practiced in Western Europe during the middle ages. This work (3 books in one binding) answers a number of questions for those curious about the occult: Agrippa discusses the "Bible Code"; the cypher system said to have been used by the Cabbalists, which is the subject of a number of popular works today. Reading his book also cleared up a mystery for me. A few years ago, I attended a lecture on the era of King Henry VIII by Princess Michael of Kent at the Metropolitan Museum of New York. One thing that caught my attention was when the Princess talked of Catherine of Aragon's unsuccessful attempt to conceive an heir for Henry VIII. Catherine even resorted to sorcery in an attempt to get pregnant. Specifically, she wore a charm made of the middle finger and anus of an aborted fetus, which she had been told would make her get pregnant. This thing; as Princess Michael related to the audience, was given to her by a priest. It occurred to me that this was a rather strange thing to use to increase the chances of getting pregnant. My instinctive "gut feeling" would be that such an item would more likely have the opposite effect. It turns out that Agrippa agreed with me. Agrippa wrote that a charm made of the finger of an aborted baby worn round the neck prevents a woman from conceiving. Hmmm....this brings up some important historical and metaphysical questions, such as: was this priest ignorant in the ways of the occult or a knowing saboteur of a dynasty, and if so, why?
Agrippa did not see a conflict between being a Christian and being a practitioner of "magick" and spells. There are a number of people and groups with websites who profess similar views, including, but not limited to Esoteric Christian. I do not claim to endorse any of this, but I will say that my own religious tradition, Roman Catholicism, has a mystical tradition that not all of its adherents are aware of, and that what the priest does at the altar in vestments rich with symbolism, as a ritual for which certain material and mental accountrements are necessary, is very close to the "primitive" and "magickal" ancient forms of worship among those of the Shamanistic tradition (indeed, some representatives of the Church have said that Shamen of Russia and Central Asia could exorcise demons like Catholic priest-exorcists!). The Catholic priest, liturgically speaking, has a lot more in common with the witch doctor and the wizard than with someone who is strictly a "preacher". That said, there are people who call themselves "Christian occultists", and actually engage in rituals (wittingly or unwittingly) evocative of the Catholic priest's use of the gold chalice and ciborium and consecration of bread and wine.
More about Mysticism in Christianity:
http://www.essene.com/Mysticism/Christianity.html
Worth pondering on Christianity and the nature of God in general: Mr. Glass has published some very thought-provoking articles on his website: www.cleveglass.com
Are you a witch? Find out!
Links dealing with the Islamic Mystical tradition:
...And the Jewish Mystical tradition (coming soon)
Regional Ghost Links
I don't know much about them, but I love the design of the New York Ghost Chapter website!
And the content of Paranormal Investigation of NYC.
Let's not forget our neighbors just accross the Kill over the Goethals...directly opposite the area in Staten Island where the alleged witches of Mariners' Harbor lived and the Devil appeared and tore out a witch's tongue... they have the legends of the "Jersey Devil", and a high levels of other supernatural activity to be investigated as well, by organizations like South Jersey Ghost Research
Someone thinks Staten Island is "The Most Haunted City/Town in New York"
Lost Destinations also has some good pictures of the monastery, too.
I would be remiss if I failed to mention Forgotten NY's page on Staten Island cemetaries Go back to the main site and click on the link about Ichabod Crane's grave on Staten Island to see pictures of more Staten Island cemetaries, including the Lake, Fountain and Staten Island cemetaries, which I mention in my first Haunted Island book as having started out their careers as Indian and Negro burying grounds.
When Lynda Lee Macken wrote her Haunted History of Staten Island, she used my North Shore Haunted Island book as one of her sources. Now her books are on the web via amazon and Black Cat Books.
The Unexplained, a website about all kinds of paranormal phenomena.
Invisible Ink, an online bookstore specializing in books about ghosts and hauntings, was among the first to sell my books...they may still have a few copies of my North Shore book.
I once went on a walking tour of haunted places in lower Manhattan which was hosted by Charles J. Adams III, who wrote a number of well-researched books on various areas with ghost stories and haunted reputations. His books are available through www.ExeterHouseBooks.com. He made the tour a lot of fun.
And now for a little "house-proud" humor: The Martha Stewart of the Goth set
General information on beliefs regarding exorcism of demons: Yaohushua (Jesus) as healer and exorcist from the Hebriac point of view, and a point of view presented by a "Devil's advocate" on the most famous exorcism case of all, the one on which the movie The Exorcist, is based.
Bimwah.net has some links about ESP, UFOs, and poltergeists.
These toilet demon cartoons at belph.com are a scream!