On Trickster's Realm: "Newport, Oregon: A Haunted Hotel?"

My Trickster's Realm column is up on Binnall of America, and this week I write about the wonderful and unique Sylvia Beach Hotel, and my experience walking around the haunted building. Newport, Oregon: A Haunted Hotel?

Blue Maya: A Visit From Mary

My new Trickster's Realm will be up sometime tomorrow on Tim Binnall's Binnall of America site. This week I write about an experience I had while meditating invovling Mary and Kuan Yin. (Kuan Yin depicted here is in her manifestation as the Sea Goddess.)

Tarot, Maxi Pads, and Animal Sacrifice

Richelle Hawks has a great piece on commercials and advertising, on Binnall of America in her Medusa's Ladder column:Strange Days, Indeed: Notes on Identity and the Super Bowl Commercials And when I read this I just had to find out more:

"I found a magazine ad of an Always maxipad slapped on a tarot card."

If that isn't esoterica I don't know what is. It's teeming with esoteric symbolism.

I found the image; it appears on The Tarot Channel blog. Of course there isn't really a Tarot card called "The Protector" but here's what Tarot Channel says about the number II assigned to the ad card:

I'm thinking that the ad creators had to have some knowledge of Tarot because "The Protector" is assigned Roman numeral II, The High Priestess (who is, of course, associated with the moon).

And in a bit of synchronicity, my Trickster's Realm column for Binnall of America is also about commercials and advertising. Conspiracies and Cannibalism: Animals and Advertising.I didn't know Richelle's column was about commercials until she told me the other day; after I had been working on mine. I avoided reading her column until I sent mine off to Tim Binnall.

Richelle's is up now, mine will be up sometime tomorrow. And be sure to read all the great columns over there as well.

Vatican Cracks Down, ....

I have something up at UFO-Mary about the Vatican's recent cracking down on those who experience Marian Apparitions. It's a bit chilling.

Bush/Cheny pushed through, even in their last, gasping days, their agenda to continue the wolf slaughter.

Lesley posted a couple of interesting photographs she took in Washington of the BVM with orbs.

I comment about the hilarity of the so-called UFO Iconoclasts bloggers and their ridiculous assertion I, along with Lesley and Lehmberg, are "bringing down UFOlogy."

My musings on 2012 on Binnall of America.While there at Tim Binnall's, be sure to read Richelle Hawks, Tina Sena, Richard Thompson, Lesley and everyone else! Also listen to the great podcasts.

Lastly, my Mothman's Photographer III by Andrew Colvin, arrived today! I am so excited, I've only read the forward by Nick Redfern and leafed through it, but it promises to be great.

BVM, Bigfoot, Playboy, Darklore, Trickster's Realm

On UFO-Mary I have several new posts, including one on the Mexican edition of Playboy magazine, with it's Virgin Mary like model on the cover. Just in time for the pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

I've been experiencing a few synchroniciites related to the image of Mary, as well as Goddess energy in general. It's not surprising to find that when ones attention is really directed at something; UFOs, what have you, the synchronicities appear!

Snarly Skepticism; also the unofficial JREF Watch, I just decided, has an entry on the dangers of Bigfoot research. Yes, dangers. The harm Bigfoot research, and just a "belief" in Bigfoot, must be told! Beware!

Usually my Trickster's Realm column for Binnall of America goes up on Monday, but recently things have been changed around a bit. So my column won't be up until Thursday. I write about the Darklore, Volume II that just came out. Speaking of, it'll make a great gift! You can find out about ordering information at Amazon.com or the Daily Grail site.

It's been snowy here, which I don't like. It's wet, it's cold, what's the point? Fortunately I don't have to go anywhere these days; I"m off for winter break for three weeks. So I'm cozy in my house, trying to work on various writing projects.

And speaking of writing projects, visit my Lulu.com storefront. I plan to have a few more things available -- some for free -- in a few days.

I was going to be on the X-Zone radio show but still sick with some cold/throat thing. I'm much better but my throat still hurts and I sound like a frog. I'm sure in a few days I'll be fine, and will post the date when I know more.

Faux Psychic TV

My new Trickster's Realm column is up at Binnall of America: Not Really Psychic, Just Faking It, about two shows I like: Psych, and The Mentalist.

Be sure to read all the other great columns at BOA, as well as the forum. Remember that Binnall of America has great podcasts too!

Animal Messages

Bigfoot is an animal -- whether paranormal, flesh and blood or both. I comment on the few positive takes on the whole "RickMat" Biscardi Bigfoot body found! situation on Trickster's Realm on Binnall of America, which should be up sometime tomorrow.

Another animal post is up at my Trickster Northwest blog, about a series of slightly odd encounters today: Animal Messages.
http://tricksternorthwest.blogspot.com/2008/08/animal-messages_17.html

Creepy Clowns

It's a cliche for some, that clowns are creepy and some have a fear of clowns, but I don't care. I don't like them, they are creepy, and they do scare me. Kind of. More like piss me off, but that's my personality. I ain't scared of nobody, see! Anyway, I have something about creepy clowns and ufos on my Vintage U.F.O. blog; inspired by what I wrote for Trickster's Realm on Binnall, which will be up sometime Monday: MIBs, Clowns and Helicopters.

Joaquim Fernandes, PhD :What Really Happened at Fatima?

This article by Fernandes appeared on UFO Digest on June 9, so it’s a bit of old news, but I’m posting something about it because of my interest in Marian apparitions, Mary herself, and the book I just received recently: Heavenly Lights: The Apparitions of Fatima and the UFO Phenomenon, also by Fernandes, along with co-author Fina D'Armada.

One thing that I discovered in reading this article is the existence of this, the:

Multicultural Apparitions Research International Academic Network (Project MARIAN), which is coordinated by the Center for Transdisciplinary Studies in Consciousness (CTEC) at the University Fernando Pessoa, in Porto, Portugal.

I’m looking forward to finding out more about this organization. The article on UFO Digest isn’t much more than a plug for the book (s) but that’s okay, for one thing, they stress the fact the content consists of peer reviewed papers, the diverse body of people involved in this area, etc.

There are UFO and Fortean researchers involved in studying Marian Apparitions in context of UFOs, (Jacques Vallee of course, etc.) but many more shy away, it seems. Maybe it’s because of the religious factor, I don’t know. Or it might seem too mystical -- and therefore too “New Agey” for some -- to take seriously.

For myself, I remain intrigued and continue to explore the idea that Marian apparitions share a relationship with UFOs, or, some sort of Fortean/supernatural phenomenon that isn’t religious, only interpreted that way.

http://www.ufodigest.com/news/0608/fatima-revisited2.html

Tim Binnall's Women

(heh) Since Richelle and Lesley won't shamelessly promote themselves, I'll do it for them, and promote myself as well.

We all have articles up at Binnall of America.

My Trickster's Realm went up today; it's on Marian Apparitions again: Apparitions and Control. I don't know why I've been having apparitions of the Marian variety on the brain lately, just that way.

Richelle, as usual, has an interesting perspective on things, this time it's the "going green" meme that's the fad now. It's good to be green, as Kermit said years ago, I'm not knocking doing what needs to be done. But Richelle has some good insights, addressing the "evil" side of the whole green thing in A Hero's Dilemma: Green and its Evil Twin. for her Medussa's Ladder column.

Lesley, for her Grey Matters column, writes about the blog on UFO Magazine in UFO Magazine: Online and Blogging ! She's done a great job of getting that going, and it looks great, with lots of bloggers contributing.

Tina Sena (not a contributor here at WOE even though she's been invited -- hint!) writes Heaven Can Wait for her Esoterica column.

But it's not just about us dames. There are other great columnists (yes, I just called us all "great") like Richard Thomas's column Room 101. His current piece is Alternative 3 and the Secret Space Program

And Khyron writes The K Files; the current column is his "summer movie preview."

And as always, there are great podcasts to listen to (for free) so be sure to visit Tim Binnall's site and look around, post in the forums, and listen to some great interviews!

Farting Demons

Richelle wrote, in her Medusa's Ladder column for Binnall of America, a piece about demonologists and ghost hunting. I came along and shamelessly hijacked her article for my Trickster's Realm column at Binnall: Religious Ghost Hunting.

I've received a response to that from someone who says he's a minister. Here it is:

Hi,

Just read your blog. As a Christian Minister I too get ticked off by self important religious people. But in my biz you will always find them regardless of denomination (of course the more conservative the more plentiful and self aggrandizing they are). I have had numerous experiences with "demonologists" and "exorcists". I have even taken a graduate level course of "deliverance". I was astonished to find that I was possessed by over 42 demons. One of them was a demon of flatulence that went by the name "windy". Wow. That explained a lot. I thought that it was just the starchy food at the cafeteria. Some of my colleagues were even "exorcising" their infants because "you never know if a Demon got in before it was dedicated. I shit you not. This was an accredited Seminary. Religious abuse can run rampant when you have an expert manipulator in a position of power.

On the 'reality' side of it, I have had many encounters with what I would call 'demonic' entities. Same type of malevolent spirits you probably have encountered. I've also encountered ghosts and other beings that I have to label 'angels'.

But I have to say though I respect your opinion it does sound a little intolerant. When I was a Pastor in New Castle, Pa one of my best friends was a self proclaimed Satanist. He was a nice guy. I've had a lot of Wiccan friends. I myself could never be one because as a fat man I do not want to scare people by public nudity. We all are trying to embrace the mysterium and explain it in our own context. A lot of Christians can seem to be obnoxious because they want to share their worldview. Just as you do. But I'm afraid in your rhetoric in this blog you almost become the very same thing you disdain. Ridiculing a religion and making fun of people of other faiths is what self important religious people do. It seems you wish Christians to keep quiet. But do you feel the same when it comes to others of your own faith view? What one might call a malevolent spirit another might call it a demon or the devil. They are just labels for the same thing. And we all deal with them as our faith and world view permits. We might not like it, but to mock it is akin to religious bigotry.

But it's your blog. I know that Christians can hurt and judge. Man you would not believe some of the stuff I have seen. If you've been hurt or judged by a Christian I'm sorry. I've been there, in fact I left ministry for over 10 years at one point in my life because I was fed up with judgemental hypocrites. But your generalizations hurt others of us of the Christian faith who are not crazy assholes.

And I guess that's what it comes down to. We all are looking for meaning and transcendence, but along the way we meet a lot of self absorbed assholes.

And those assholes stink.

Have a great week,

Pastor Swope
(a former stinking asshole who learned how to wipe properly)

Well, I didn't mean to come off as intolerant to Christians. I'm not intolerant of Christians. I am intolerant of pompous Christians. I'm intolerant of those who assume every one else; ghost, spirit, the dead, and the living, are going to respond favorably to their religious mechanization's when it comes to ghost hunting.

I know there are malevolent forces out there, believe me. I know there are "angelic" ones as well. I personally don't interpret them in a Christian framework,a nd I don't care if others do. I do care when those that do get all self-righteous and all.

Goodness, was I not clear on that?

Anyway, when I die, and if you think I'm haunting someplace, please do me a favor and refrain from screaming that I'm a demon and wave a huge cross in my ghostly transparent face,or singing Oh Holy Night. Thank you.

Esoteric Junk Mail

My latest on Tim Binnall's site for my Trickster's Realm column over there: Esoteric Junk Mail.

http://binnallofamerica.com/tr5.5.8.html

As always, be sure to read all the other great columns over there, including Lesley's Grey Matters and Richelle's Medusa's Ladder.

Bigfoot Researcher Lisa Shiel

Tim Binnall of Binnall of America has a great website full of esoterica: forums, podcasts, and columnists. (Like myself: Trickster's Realm, which comes out every other Monday.) Tim always does a great job of interviewing -- he opened his third season with Jim Marrs. Pretty great.

This past June, Tim interviewed Lisa Shiel, Bigfoot researcher. Lisa has had personal experience with Bigfoot, as well as UFOs, and her take on both is that they're related. Shiel's research goes beyond "flesh and blood" Bigfoot.

Lisa is author of her own blog, Bigfoot Quest, and author of the book Backyard Bigfoot.