Embracing the Spirits: True Stories of My Encounters With the Other Side (10 page)

Board with the same level of preparation and respect would

keep me and my sitters adequately protected.

After a day spent hunting through countless antique stores,

I finally found the exact type of table I was looking for. It was a carved Victorian side-table, inlaid with a plate of clear glass.

I also bought some Victorian-style stickers depicting cherubs

and flowers, together with a selection of large black letters. I would use these to customize my Ouija table, sticking them

beneath the glass to ensure the surface remained uniform and

smooth. In no time at all, I was ready to test it out.

My friend, Vee had called me earlier in the week, asking

if she could come and see me. She didn’t tell me as much at

the time, but apparently her deceased brother had been pester-

ing her to visit me. Vee, who has always been in tune with spirits, decided to concede to her brother’s wishes, as she felt she wouldn’t be able to get me out of her head until she did so!

It seemed more than coincidental that I had bought and set

up my Ouija table the previous day, so I asked Vee if she would like to sit at the table. Armed with a handful of tissues, she came and took her place.

Ouija 77

My customized Ouija Table, which I found in an old antique store.

Although I was expecting Vee’s brother to be the domi-

nant energy, the table was quickly hijacked by the ghosts of

the Kalamunda Hotel.

First to come through was
Euie,
who Vee and I thought surely must’ve actually been called
Evie.
We asked her if this was the case. But Euie was insistent, repeatedly spelling out

E..U..I..E
until we had no choice but to accept that this was her name! She later told us that it was short for Eunice.

Euie told us that she had lived and died at the Kalamunda

hotel, and confirmed that she was the grey-haired old woman

who frequented the bottle shop. Wanting proof that she was

indeed who she said she was, I asked her if she was with

Paddy, to which she replied
YES.

“OK then,” I said. “If you’re with Paddy, I’m sure he would

have told you about his Melbourne Cup triumph. Can you tell

me what the name of his horse was?”

78 Ouija

BLUE SPEC

We were blown away. It seemed Euie and her friends had

followed me home from the hotel a few days earlier. Before

she said goodbye, Euie moved to the letter
V
after which she moved to the
X
.

“I think she’s giving you a kiss Vee,” I said.

At this, the glass rapidly moved to
YES,
and then moved once again to the
V
and the
X.
And indeed, each spirit we spoke to during the session signed off in the same way, as

though they were trying to shower Vee in love. They left a

wonderful feeling of warmth in their wake.

I didn’t realise until that day, but Vee was not well and was

on the waiting list for surgery. It seemed as though the spirits knew this, and were eager to express their love and support.

Next to come through was Charles, who spelt his name

out with rapidity and ease.

“May we call you Charlie?” I asked.

CHARLES!
he repeated.

“Are you the gentleman I heard calling out on the voice

recording?” I asked.

YES

“Can you please tell me what you were calling out,

Charles?”

HELP US
was spelt out with deliberate ease.

My heart quickly jumped into my throat, I couldn’t believe

he was coming through so strongly. Further validation of

Charles’ identity was given to me later that night. An internet search of the history of the Kalamunda Hotel, confirmed that

the original builder was a gentleman named Charles Hum-

merston.

Ouija 79

I assured Charles that we would indeed help him, and told

him that I was bringing a group of friends to the hotel on

Monday night.

“We’re going to help you cross over,” I said. “It’s time to go into the light.”

We also had a brief word with Paddy Connolly, and an

eight year old girl named Gertie. Gertie told us that she was

the young girl we could hear on the voice recording, and when

we asked what she says on the tape, she replied
STUCK!

Poor little darling, I couldn’t wait to help her. After assur-

ing the Kalamunda contingency that we would see them all on

Monday, I sent them all my love and asked them to step back.

Now it was Vee’s brother’s turn. I invited him to draw in

nice and close, and speak to us through the table.

“Can you please tell us your name?” I asked.

ANTHONY
he said.

“And your middle name?”

PETER

I looked up at Vee for confirmation, she responded with a

tearful nod.

Anthony went on to tell us his date of birth and when he

passed away. He told us Vee’s husband’s name and the names

of her children, and confirmed that he watches of over Vee

and her family frequently, from the comfort of a wicker chaise lounge in the family room.

“I knew that,” Vee laughed. “I always hear the wicker

squeaking as if someone’s just sat in it. I usually tell whoever’s with me at the time that it’s just Anthony paying a visit!”

We shared some laughs as Anthony told us how good look-

ing he was.

“So what would you rate yourself out of ten?” I asked.

80 Ouija

The glass wasted no time shooting across to the number 9.

“Whoa!” I said, “So you’re a hottie … good for you!”

Anthony, Vee’s dearly departed, handsome brother.

After that, the tone became more serious, as Anthony

addressed the issue of Vee’s impending surgery. He wanted her

to know he would be right beside her; before, during and after the operation. He assured his sister that everything would go

perfectly, and that she definitely wouldn’t be reunited with her brother any time soon.

“And will there be any repercussions?” Vee asked.

None whatsoever, came the response. Anthony even told

Vee the date of the surgery, as it was all still up in the air at that point in time.

Ouija 81

It was apparent that Anthony had been harassing his sis-

ter to come and see me, as he was desperate to reassure her.

Although Vee suspected that this was the case, it was gratify-

ing that Anthony was able to come through so strongly and

confirm that everything would be fine.

That night as I lay on my bed reading, I was overcome by

a crushing fatigue. I felt as though the spirits and I had worked together by combining our energy during the séance, and now

I was well and truly drained.

“Is anyone still here?” I asked. “Kalamunda crew? Are you

still sucking up my energy?” I joked.

My camera was on my bedside table so I took a quick

photo. Surprisingly, it showed nothing.

“What about you Anthony? Are you still here, darling?”

I took a photo and was rewarded with a small, vivid orb.

“So you
are
here! How about we do one last thing together before I flake out? Try and make your spirit light as big and

bright as you can … and then I’ll send the pic to Vee.”

On the count of three I took the photo, and was thrilled to

see a big, beautiful orb shining on the curtains.

“You’re gorgeous!” I said, and true to my promise, immedi-

ately sent the photo to Vee.

I said goodnight and turned out the light, but not before

throwing a small lace tablecloth over the Ouija table beside the bed.

“Just in case any of you get any ideas in the middle of the

night!” I joked.

I fell asleep quickly, and slept a solid dream-filled sleep. I was soothed by the knowledge that Anthony’s message had

been delivered, and the Kalamunda ghosts would soon be in

82 Ouija

the light. I was embarking on a new phase of my spiritual

journey, and it couldn’t come soon enough.

Upon asking Anthony to appear in a photo for his sister, Vee,
he immediately showed himself as a beautiful orb.

T h e G i r l

i n R o o m O n e

For reasons I don’t fully understand, the spirits of those who have taken their own lives always seem to gravitate to me. It

is a privilege to be able to pass on their messages of love and apology, as quite often there are things which need to be said before they feel they can move on.

I suspect that those who have suicided are compelled to

make amends for their actions; actions which are quite often

impulsive and made under severe emotional stress. In a split

second they can find themselves existing in another dimen-

sion, and are often plagued by regret. This is never more

true than when they see the pain that their death has caused

their loved ones, and consequently they will often go to great lengths to ensure that their messages get through.

The spirits of those who have suicided may also linger out

of fear-borne reasons. Perhaps they feel safer remaining in the familiarity of the earth plane, rather than crossing into the 83

84 The Girl in Room One

light. Many believe that the light represents judgement, and

choose not to cross over lest they are punished for taking their own lives. Whenever I encounter souls such as these, I assure

them that love, forgiveness and healing await them in the light.

They have already endured enough without having to con-

tinue to exist in limbo between the living and the dead. Of all the souls who pass prematurely, these people are amongst those who need healing the most. I encourage them to cross over and

claim the nurturing and love which is rightfully theirs.

And of course, there are also many suicided souls who

have made the transition to the higher realms effortlessly, as that particular life-plan was part of their prearranged journey.

These souls are still able to check in on their loved ones, but for the most part they are continuing to progress on their spiritual journey. For me, these spirits are particularly inspiring.

Despite their earthly trials and hardships, they have risen above the negativity which plagued them in life and have embraced

their spiritual existence. Some even go on to support others

who have suicided, guiding them towards the healing that they

so desperately need and deserve. They have evolved to the

point where they have turned the tragedy of their passing into something positive; by continuing to grow and evolve spiritually despite the circumstances of their death.

I came across one such soul whilst conducting a seance