Nighttide - Tales of the Paranormal and Occult

For many cultures around the world, winter is a time when special creatures come out to play. It is a time when the snowfall brings about a special magic with it. The first snow fall of the winter is known to awaken cryptids, and other magical creatures.

While the winter solstice was often a time of feasts and celebration, many of these celebrations were in part to counter the negativity which lurked about during these long dark nights. It was a time for magic and ritual, a time to balance out negative forces at play, and a time when protection was needed. In Western culture, many of our winter holiday traditions have origins in these magical solstice celebrations – especially those celebrated by the Celts and Vikings.

A sigil is the symbolic representation of a person’s intentions which they wish to bring about. Its purpose, simply, is to seal the intention one is looking to manifest, or bring into their lives. While this type of symbolic magic is almost as old as time itself, sigil magic really began to take shape and come into its own during the 17th century.

We are changing our posting schedule to every other Sunday during the holiday season.

There are some places which seem to have a mystery about them. It’s these places that weave their way into our legends and folklore and make us want to believe that the world is far more magical and mysterious than we are led to believe. One of these such places is a rather unassuming ranchland that resides in Utah. It’s known by many as the Skin Walker Ranch.

It was called The London Ghost Club, and it was the very first paranormal investigation and research group known on record. Formed in 1862, it was a club for some of London’s most elite, and included politicians, inventors, physicians, authors, and more. Journey back to the Spiritualist movement and hear about one very famous author who was a member of the Ghost Club and how their search for the paranormal shaped their life.

The devil is an interesting character, one who has often been portrayed as the artist’s muse. However, the devil has quite a fascinating history, and the way this character has evolved throughout time and how our attitudes towards it have changed makes for quite an interesting tale in of itself. It certainly didn’t start out as the way we know it today. Like the beast itself, the origin of the devil is quite a tricky one to pursue. It is full of twists, deceit, and often provides no better example of the folly of man.

Join me for a little jaunt through history as we learn about some of the origins behind Halloween and the traditions we associate with it.

There are many out there who have claimed to have captured a spirit in a photograph. In most cases the occurrence was completely unintended – while in other cases the person behind the camera has done so for that specific reason. Today, whenever we see a supposed spirit photograph, the spirit is either an orb, a wispy mist-like substance, or a light colored blob that is vaguely in a human like shape. The ghost photos we have today are entirely different than the spirit photos of the eighteen and nineteen hundreds.

Many castles of old still have a strong presence about them. When looked upon they seem to resonate with an energy all of their own, and stir within us a mixture of wonder, reverence, and melancholy. Though many like to romanticize what life was like behind those seemingly impenetrable stone walls, castle life was often a lonely and dangerous affair.

The story behind the hauntings of the Crescent Hotel read like a riveting crime novel. It just goes to show you that often, behind every good ghost story, there is an even creepier history lurking behind it.

Almost everyone has some sort of superstition they believe in - and one of the biggest superstitions in western culture has to do with Friday the 13th. There are some people out there who legitimately fear this day and the bad luck it brings. Have you ever wondered why? When did this fear of the 13th begin?

There are some places that are just naturally spooky, even in the daylight. Swamps and bogs are just such places, there’s an air of mystery about them. The secretive dark waters (and what lives just beneath) fill us with a shuddersome sense of foreboding. It’s a feeling that has remained a constant throughout history, and is something that has inspired countless stories of ghosts, curses, and mysterious creatures.

Magic is defined as the natural art of bringing about change in one’s life by using the power of one’s own thoughts or energies. Throughout most of ancient history magic was seen as an important part of daily life. For the Egyptians, was not only an integral part of their religious practices, but also an important part of daily life. For the Greeks and Romans, magic was used for every purpose under the sun – from ensuring a good harvest to making sure one looked their best. In fact, every single ancient society out there employed some sort of magical belief system – magic is just something that goes hand-in-hand with animism and connection the natural world.

Hear some of the tales of UFO lore that started our modern-day obsession with odd lights in the sky and little gray beings.