I have never "chatted" with the deceased but I have felt them many, many times. As a living history reenactor I visit a lot of places that are really charged with energy. I have been to places that conveyed much joy, such as the 2nd story ballroom at the Michie Tavern in Charlottesville, VA, and places that conveyed so much sorrow or other type of power that I could barely stand it. A couple of years ago we visited the Blandford Church in Petersburg, VA, which is one of the oldest churches in VA, and (I believe) was used as a field hospital after the Battle of the Crater. The second I walked through the church door I was overcome by something I still cannot describe except to say that I wanted to crumple into the corner and just sob. I could barely speak when I was in there, and hardly paid attention to the tour guide.

Call it what you will, because I don't know what to call it.

I too am a Christian and I firmly believe there are things not of the physical world that we are not meant to fully understand, because we are mere humans who cannot comprehend the full workings of the universe. I believe in evil spirits and good spirits and trust God to give me discernment with regard to which is which.

Mister thinks our house is haunted, albeit in a good way. It's a very friendly place. I think we have a prankster, though, because things very often disappear, or turn up totally out of place. The dogs bark at things that aren't there.

A few years ago I became really interested in sea music. I don't know why. I'm an earth sign and petrified of the ocean. But I went along. My landlady's daughter had a 40th anniversary party for them at her house, and had lots of family pictures scattered hither and yon. There was an old portrait of a handsome young sailor on the mantle. I asked the landlady who it was. "Oh," she said, "that's my daddy." Well, y'all, the house I live in belonged to her daddy. I had never known he was a sailor. It gave me the willies. Her grandfather, a Confederate veteran, actually died in the house.

I think the energy of times past still exists among us --- after all, the first law of thermodynamics says that energy cannot be increased or decreased, but simply changes form. If that's the case, there's no need to call up or conjure anyone or anything. It's already there.

Music is a gift from the Great Good Power of the Universe and if Robert Johnson met anyone at the crossroads, it was probably an angel. --------------KFC