No, this isn’t an article about sprucing up the garage to scare trick-or-treaters. Rather, it serves as an exploration on what you should do if you find yourself living in a haunted house as Samhain or Halloween approaches. As the veil between worlds is reportedly thinner during the day of Halloween, it’s often said in many spiritual traditions that on this day spirits are given more power and manifest. So what are you to do if you’re expecting guests for Halloween that were not invited?
First, it’s important to consider that the paranormal while dealt with lightly often could be considered a very serious matter if the presence of a spirit or the belief in such a presence were to cause psychological (rarely physical) harm. And so it’s important to keep a cool head during these times.
If you live in a house that has a history of hauntings verified by either yourself or multiple witnesses, you may be concerned about what will happen if these ghosts gain the auspicious power said to be doled out to paranormal entities as October 31st comes around. It may be little comfort to know that the day after Halloween is often filled with news of people seeing paranormal entities either in their own homes or out on the streets. But there are some things that folklorists and spiritualists suggest in order to quench the thirst for attention these spirits have on this day.
First, it has been suggested that a simple acknowledgment can go a long way for a paranormal entity. By hosting a dinner where an extra place is set ending in a genuine request or command for the ghost to leave afterwards reportedly sates any desire for attention and the paranormal entity leaves feeling respected and acknowledged. Even if they remain in the home, as the legend goes it is enough to acknowledge them and then complete the meal with a gentle but firm goodbye.
Secondly, the use of Jack-o-lanterns has been used for years as both a festive holiday tradition and a means of guiding ghosts to homes. It is said that while a Jack-o-lantern on the porch serves as a friendly beacon for these wandering spirits, keeping them on the porch removes any desire to actually enter the house. Ghosts, as the legend goes, are much like people and will not enter your home unless specifically invited for the most part.
And even if your house already has an unexpected guest, you may want to even consider bringing friends over in order to stave away any curious spectral visitors. These entities are often timid around newcomers, but even if they do make an appearance you will at least have additional witnesses to back up your claim when November first inevitably comes around. And don’t forget to keep a camera handy in case you find yourself face to face with a translucent new friend from the hereafter.
But above all else, don’t let a fear of the paranormal ruin what could otherwise be a good night. By staying active on Halloween you’re likely to scare up stories to talk about later.
