Ghostvillage.com Newsletter #151

GHOSTVILLAGE.COM NEWSLETTER #151 - October 16, 2014

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Dear Ghostvillagers,

Fifteen years ago... on a night just like this one... I sat in my apartment toiling away trying to learn how to build a Web site. Little did I know that figuring out some HTML and combining my love of writing about haunted places would one day turn into a career. Yet here we are a decade and half later, with Ghostvillage.com celebrating its 15th birthday.

Ghost stories matter.

Back when Ghostvillage.com was just six Web pages, I didn’t know that yet. But over time as I’ve watched the cathartic response from people who share their encounters and lift the weight of the experience from their shoulders, I’ve come to know that this subject touches on something both deep and primal. Ghosts connect us with our past and with each other. They’re the fabric of our spirituality, and they matter.

October is the time for ghosts because 2,000 years ago in a cave in Ireland, the Celtic people believed that the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead grew thinnest on Samhain… October 31st. They believed that ghosts, goblins, imps, and fairies could come into our world and meddle in our affairs. They dressed their children as these creatures to confuse the beasts so as not to lose their kids to the creatures of the underworld.

For two millennia we have known that this is the time for ghosts. And while there may very well be more spirits present in May, this is the month most of the world pays attention. Horror movies come out, we decorate our yards, and dress as the creatures we fear most. Two thousand years of connections have told us this is the time when the veil is thin. Though the holiday was renamed and rebranded along the way, the roots have never changed. Call it Halloween if you will, but each time we don the scary mask or pour candy into a trick-or-treater’s bag, we take part in a ritual that goes back a long way and has become collective property worldwide. We all own Halloween now. Just as it owns a piece of us.

Though I hardly have time to sleep during this month, I still love every piece of the Halloween experience. I love that my favorite subject shines in the public spotlight, even if only for a few weeks. It’s amazing how many people visit Ghostvillage this month to share in the ghost experience. And I love meeting so many new faces each night as I give talks all over about things that bump in the night.

Besides my nightly talks, there are a few other items to watch for this month. First, don’t miss the Ghost Adventures Halloween special on October 31st at 9 PM. The guys travel to Ireland to explore the roots of our favorite holiday! And speaking of Travel Channel, I contributed to their "Travel’s Best of Halloween 2014."

I’m also proud to announce that a new episode of my Emmy-nominated New England Legends show will air on two PBS stations: Watch Wednesday, October 29th at 8 PM on Rhode Island PBS, and Thursday, October 30th at 10 PM on WGBY in Springfield, Massachusetts. The new episode is called “Maritime Mysteries” and dives into the ocean waters of southeastern New England to explore the lonely and haunted Rose Island Lighthouse off the coast of Newport, Rhode Island. Then we head to shore to ponder an ancient and mysterious stone tower with possible connections to the Knights Templar. Finally, we trek up to New Bedford, Massachusetts, to investigate the haunts of abandoned Fort Taber / Fort Rodman. DVDs will also be for sale on our Web site around the same time. Don’t miss it!

Happy Halloween and blessed Samhain to you all!

From ghoulies and ghosties
And long-leggedy beasties
And things that go bump in the night,
Good Lord, deliver us!

Supernaturally yours,

Jeff Belanger
Mayor of Ghostvillage.com
Twitter: @THEJeffBelanger
Facebook: Jeff Belanger
YouTube: www.youtube.com/legendtripping

Jeff Belanger's Upcoming Events

Monthly Contest

How to win: Entries will be accepted up until 5:00 PM (eastern time) tomorrow (October 17, 2014). At 5:00 PM, we will draw a winner at random from the correct entries that have been received. You only have until 5:00 PM to get your answer in. The winner will be announced in next month's newsletter. To submit your entry, simply reply to this email with the correct answer.

This question can be answered by reading a page on Ghostvillage.com. Remember, reply by 5:00 PM tomorrow to be eligible to win.

Who published the Haunted House album?

Only Ghostvillagers who have not won a prize from us in the last year are eligible. Good luck!

This month's prize: We're giving away autographed copies of Jeff Belanger's 3 DVDs: New England Legends and a Ghostvillage.com window sticker!

Didn't win? Want to buy a copy? Click on the graphic.

Ghostvillage.com Advertising Opportunities

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New Articles Since Last Month

Encounters: The Haunted House Album

Encounters: The Young Man in My Kitchen

Encounters: Ghosts in the Closet

News: Production Company is Seeking Alaska Ghost Stories

Encounters: The Shadow in the Bathroom

30 Odd Minutes: Mission 171 – Rock N’ Roll Ghost Encounters with Angelka Rogers

Encounters: The Lady in the Dress Told Me to Hurry Up

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1,160 "Personal Encounters" published on Ghostvillage.com
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Ghostvillage.com is the Web's largest supernatural community, the central place where people come to share their experiences, thoughts, and research. Please help us continue to grow by buying a copy of The World's Most Haunted Places, Communicating With the Dead, The Encyclopedia of Haunted Places, The Nightmare Encyclopedia, Our Haunted Lives, Ghosts of War, The Ghost Files, Weird Massachusetts, Who's Haunting the White House?, The Mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle, Picture Yourself Legend Tripping, Chasing Spirits, 2014 Haunted New England wall calendar. Every little bit helps run our servers and helps the site get bigger and better! Please also click on our banner ads and support our advertisers -- when you do business with someone who advertises with Ghostvillage.com, let them know you saw their ad with us and thank them for the support.

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