Kristal Lee

MOTHMAN

The Mothman is a 7-foot cryptid with moth-like wings and red glowing eyes. Reported to be a portent of disaster, the Mothman was seen by various credible witnesses in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, hovering over the Silver Bridge on several occasions before the bridge collapsed into the Ohio River on December 15, 1967. Thirty-one vehicles fell with the bridge killing forty-six people.

John Keel, UFOlogist, credited the phenomenon to parapsychological manifestations, including precognition by witnesses. Other theories suggest that people were observing Sandhill Cranes that were a problem in the area.

Though the sitings of the Mothman in Point Pleasant was the first recorded in modern times, others have followed. People reported seeing this creature before the 1985 earthquake in Mexico City, the 1986 meltdown in Cherynobl, and in New York City on September 11, 2001.

In the movie, The Mothman Prophecies, someone tells Richard Gere's character: "You noticed them. And they noticed you noticing."

Spooky. I'm gonna remember that when I'm in the backyard at night and I hear a rustling in the brush.

Photo credit: http://animal.discovery.com/tv/lost-tapes/mothman/

Image Copyright: Jeanne Nelson

Have you ever seen a dark figure in your peripheral vision only to find nothing there when you turn to look?

If you have, you may have glimpsed one of the Shadow People~ dark humanoid figures that lack distinctive features who appear and disappear in the blink of an eye. The most frequently sighted is the Hat Man, a tall dark man wearing a hat and often a cloak. Some reports suggest that the Shadow People aren't malicious in nature, but rather observers of our world. Others insist that they are soul-stealers. No one knows why they come or how long they've been around but the phenomenon is world-wide.

Jason Offutt, author of Darkness Walks: The Shadow People Among Us, states in an interview with Stephen Wagner: "The oldest mention of entities like this in literature I've found was in the late 1800s, although shadow people have been reported in various religions throughout history." 

Scientific explanations attempting to debunk these paranormal experiences claim the manifestations are a result of optical illusions or hallucinations.

"When a specific region of the brain called the left temporoparietal junction is stimulated, it can create the illusion of a shadow person. Images seen in peripheral areas of vision can be caused by pareidolia, a condition in which the brain incorrectly interprets random patterns of light/shadow or texture as being familiar patterns such as faces and human forms." ~ Wikipedia

Photo: Disney's Peter Pan

In faery lore, shadows have their own life force. If a faery steals your shadow, you will wither and die. If you steal a faery's shadow, he or she will grant you one wish.

The notion of a sentient shadow can be found in J.M. Barrie's  beloved Peter Pan. And a modern variation of the Shadow People was showcased by the appearance of "The Observer" in the FOX television series FRINGE.


Whether it's a supernatural visitation or a figment of imagination, I've experienced this phenomenon many times. Always accompanied by a rush of adrenaline, a wave of nausea and a stomach-dropping dread.

Have you encountered the Shadow People? What was your experience like?

"Dirt devils," my Grandmother used to say. Whenever we'd see a little dust kick up from the ground and swirl around like miniature tornadoes. Though they lacked the destructive force of storm tornadoes, she'd warn, "Be mindful. Faeries are afoot. You don't want them catching you."

What Granny called "dirt devils" are known in Irish folklore as sidhe gaoithe, faery winds. A sudden gust of wind or a whirlwind thought to be caused by the Faery Host rushing past.

W.B. Yeats remarked that Irish peasantry were careful not to offend the traveling faeries and at the sight of a faery wind they would remove their hats, saying "God bless them."

An Irish legend tells of an unfortunate man who built his house in the middle of a faery path despite the townsfolk warning. It wasn't long before a sidhe gaoithe whipped up, destroying the man's new home.

Modern Science pooh-pooh's superstitions and would have us believe that this phenomenon isn't supernatural.

"Dust devils form when hot air near the surface rises quickly through a small pocket of cooler, low- pressure air above it. If conditions are just right, the air may begin to rotate. The spinning effect, along with surface friction usually will produce a forward momentum. The dust devil is able to sustain itself longer by moving over nearby sources of hot surface air."  Wikipedia

Photo: www.reneecarol.com

 Most of the dirt devils that I've encountered were about ankle-to-knee high. An unnatural stillness would fall. Not a wisp of wind stirred. I didn't dare breathe the thickened air. The faint buzzing of voices and galloping hooves tickled my mind, if not my ears. The presence of one, or many, brushing past. There and gone in a blink of the eye. Too quick for them to hear the jack-hammering of my heart as I stood frozen waiting for them to pass. Who knows what would've happened if they'd noticed me noticing them.

Have you experienced a faery wind, or other faery encounter?

Punxsutawney Phil

According to legend, on February 2nd, when a groundhog emerges from its burrow, one of two things happen: he'll emerge to investigate his surroundings, or he'll retreat and hide. The outcome will determine whether or not winter will soon end.

If it's overcast when the little critter peeks out , he'll be prompted to leave his winter home and scourge for food. A sign that Spring is near. However, if it's sunny, the poor, hungry groundhog will be frighten back into his burrow by his shadow. An omen that there will be at least six more weeks of winter.

Seems pretty straight-forward, as far as superstitious prognasticating goes. But, it seems a bit backward to me.

Wouldn't cloudy weather signal more snow and a bright cheery sun suggest that Spring is coming?


Ahhh, what do I know about forecasting winter? I'm a Floridian. I haven't had to live through months of snow and sleet and ice. For those of you who do, I hope that Punxsutawney Phil doesn't see his shadow today.