My journey so far....

My Journey So Far.
(06/07/07)

At the young age of about 5, my enjoyment of magic
was sparked. I don't know if it was the Bozo Circus show
(with Bob Bell as Bozo) or if was something I seen on
the Ed Sullivan show. But it was 'wow' that's neat and
to a 5 year old it was magic, sure I seen the Mickey
Mouse Disney cartoon where Mickey was the magician,
but this was my 1st understanding of a 'human' creating
magic.

My mother decided then to get me my first magic set.
I still retain my 2nd set and have shared it with my
Grandchild as I did with my two daughters when they
where young. But I actually enjoy teaching my granddaughter
the magic also, as she picked it up fast at a very young
age with simple stuff.

For those who live in the Chicagoland area, many would
know the name Ford City mall and in the mall they had
(and still do), Peacock Alley that housed a lot of little shops.

That is where at around the age of eleven I was first introduced
to ' Real Magick', as I just stood in a store in Peacock Alley
staring at an object that's description promised ' Real Magick',
it was the very first time I had ever seen a thing called a
Black Mirror.

I asked my mother if she would buy me it, she said
that I was not ready. I wandered around the shop
in wonder to this whole new vision for my eyes.
Crystal Balls, incense sticks, Tarot Cards, what then
to me looked like stars sewn on small bags with pull
strings, candles, and other little neat stuff along with
a small collection of books on astrology, séances,
Mediums, Tarot etc...

After wandering around the store for awhile and not
knowing any more then what these items claimed to
be, my Mom said it was time to go (and I give her
credit today, even she and I being a Catholic back
then, she did not say anything negative about anything
in the store and gave me the freedom to wander in there).

Time went on and I came across stuff on TV that would
mention ghosts. My own Uncle (my mom's brother) for
a few years with his wife would appear on the Eddie
Schwartz - talk radio show at night. Either it was on
WLS or WIND and my Uncle would do Hand Writing
Analysis and Eddie Schwartz a couple of weeks ahead
of time, would have people send in their names written
on post cards or a letter. My Uncle then would give readings
over the radio to the listeners and others would call in
with questions. That was neat, but back then all I knew
it to be was something called Hand Writing Analysis.

That is also the same show that I heard for the first
time the person who was and still many consider the
Chicago Paranormal expert on locations, Mr. Richard
Crowe.

I was in fascinated, as I heard him talking about all the
happenings and experiences here in the Chicago area
and to me back then (as is now), some where almost
right in like my own back yard.

Then came the teen years and all it provided a curious
teen. Lucky for me I had a very strict mother, so I was
more afraid of her during the early and middle 70's then
the stories I heard about drugs and booze. So I never
ventured there, but the teen years also seen me put on
the back shelf the interest in magic tricks and such..
But I would still try to catch a Richard Crowe or other
ghost type radio interviews when I could, as it was
always very interesting to me to hear the stories.

There where many interests as a youth and teen,
one was predicting I would do some day what I
watched every Saturday night and Sunday morning
on TV and what would be a family outing once in
awhile for my mom, my Uncle and Aunt to see it
live when it would come to Chicago. That was
Pro. Wresting. That did come about when I was
in my very early 20's and for about 10 years.

In 1975 and with the freedom to drive, I set out
to go to one of those haunted cemetery locations
that Richard Crowe spoke so much about, but
what one? Let's see - Resurrection was (and is),
5 minutes away but it was all fenced in at night.
Monk's Castle, I had no idea then where it was,
as I knew of no castle's in the area. But the one
that interested me as it had the best stories told
about it then, was Bachelor's Grove Cemetery.

So I convinced my then girl friend (who is now and
has been my wife for 30 years in 2007), she did
not want any part of it, but I told her it would be OK,
nothing would happen. Also my buddy Dave came
along with us.

The thing about Bachelor's Grove back then, is you
where able to drive back there with your car and
the stories about doing so was, you would hear
scratching on the top of your car roof, allegedly
from a spirit that in it's living form, was hung
up side down from a tree by it's feet and left
there to die and what you where hearing if you
heard it, was the spirit's / ghost's fingers dragging
across the roof of your car as you drove under it.
Plus the other stories that even today remain from
those years when I first heard them on the radio.

So all three of us piled into the front seat of my 68 Ford XL
(a more sleeker car then the Ford Galaxy for those who can
go back that far :-) and headed out to Bachelor's Grove..

Well not knowing back then what I (we), do now,
my wife is very sensitive. We started driving down
the single road into Bachelor's Grove in the
pitch of darkness, a darkness that the
headlights would only penetrate so far into.

Well my wife could not take it, she actually
climbed into the back seat area of the car,
and demanded while crying that we pull out
of there. With no other choice, I did so.

But..... The end of one night brings another.
Dave and I the brave young dudes we where
and no little lady with to be scared, we headed
out for Bachelor's Grove again at night.

We drove all the way in and parked the car,
got out (no flashlights or anything) and walked
the direction that the high beams of the headlights
lit for us. This led us to the lagoon area, slowly
we walked there as all our senses kicked in
(more so then we thought possible), and we
walked toward the lagoon with just a touch
of headlight or maybe it was the moon, with
a reflection shining off of it.

About six feet away from the lagoon, and nothing
between us and the lagoon. We started to hear on
the ground heavy foot steps of wet shoes walking
toward us, and yet nothing was there in front of us,
yet something un-seen was coming toward us.

Well needless to say thinking back on it, Dave and
I must of looked like Abbott and Costello getting out
of there in a full run toward the car and gunning our
way out of there in the car.

True to what has become, Dave and I went back there
the next day during the afternoon and discovered the
true Bachelor's Grove Cemetery in it's fullest light.
Much was like it is today, but yet so different then
compared to today.

So back in 1975 at the age of 17 and a teenager innocent
to knowing anything about the paranormal other then it was
a spooky good time and in reality that is what it was. I would
not even claim today that my 'Paranormal experiences,
interest and feeling spirits', started back then, because
honestly as a teen I did not have that way of thinking about
spirits as a teenager. Spooky encounters - yes they would
go back to then. Paranormal experiences with spirits and
the spiritual world? That was not part of my teenage thoughts,
so no I will not make claims of such thoughts going back to
then.

In my early late 20's there where a vacant home or two that
a Real-estate lady friend took my buddy Pat and I too in the
Chicago Ridge area, that had their own things going on in
the Paranormal way of things. At that age I started to
look at it differently then when I was in my teens, more of a
"hmmmm, what is going on here?", way of thinking.

Things where interesting, I re-established my interest in the
early 1990's with Magic, more with the books then the tools,
just for the knowledge of knowing how cards, ropes, doves
and other magic was done that I would see on TV. Then other
things started sending me down a road of a new journey.

Something was pulling at me, not on the paranormal side,
but on the 'Magick' side. I was then able to hear the show -
Coast to Coast, and that there was more then just Ghosts
that existed and reminded me that there was 'Real Magick'
somewhere out there. I was being drawn, but by what?
I did not know then and not sure even today by what, but
it was to find something, answers per say..

I visited Psychics, the first well known one in my area that
I visited had her own newspaper article and she was Ms. Jacki
Marie. Plus I visited now and then others who where what I call
storefront Psychics with all saying I was gifted and it will come..
I'd ask, what will come? "You'll know it" was their response (well
that is no answer for my money, is it?)..

Then I came across a Psychic who was on the radio, guests
on many TV shows and we became friends back then in the
early and mid 1990's. His name is Joe Who, and he showed
me possibilities I only heard talk about on the radio. He took
me into my Past Lives, he showed me his abilities and
slowly showed me a little on opening my self up, as he said
he knew what was there, but I had to discover it.

He was also the only Psychic I've ever came across that
was able to direct me (telling me where to turn etc..), to
a house I knew about that was haunted because a mother
and child was killed in it, by the husband and she remained
as the child did not know to leave. He directed me right to it,
by being able to 'read me' and know in his Psychic ways
where I wanted to take him.

Then I came across our Annette, who is a High Priestess
and she, her husband, my wife and I became friends. But she
would explain her views and beliefs on Magick to me,
this led me deeper to discover what was inside me wanting
to be discovered. Now I was in my early 40's, I would have to
look at my old e-mails on my other computer to see how far
Annette and I go back, but it's been awhile. Even though
I'm not Pagan or practice Wicca, I did realize then and still
do, that there was and is much that is beautiful in their beliefs.

I then came across our Amy, the one who helped and
held my hand to walk me through to learning what abilities
where inside of me.

Oh I put her to the test first about her abilities. She at
the time when we started talking on the phone, lived
what seemed more then an hour away by expressway
driving, way north. She must of felt a question in my
mind. She told me while on the phone, to walk to my
basement window and look outside of it.

I did so and then she went about telling me what I was
looking at, brick colors, curtain colors of the house
next door etc.. Ok I believed.

The Paranormal & web pages came first,
http://theunexplainedworld.com

with the going out only during the day and capturing
with my camera what I had no idea I would get. I was
just receiving feelings to shoot the camera in a certain
direction and I did so, nor was I and I'm still not, one
that will photograph what seems like every yard of a
location hoping to catch something. If I take 15 photos
at a location that would be a lot.

* I'm not an Investigator nor call my self one * nor will
I use tools and spend hours investigating a location in
the manner that Investigators do.

That was never an interest of mine. At this stage and
since Amy opened me up to my 'feeling' abilities, I go
with what I'm feeling and being told through those
feelings. Something others can also learn to do.

The Readings:
I started first with Palm readings, and I even say any
one can learn to do them'. But when I finally came out
in public to do them, something happened that I was not
even aware could. I was Palm reading Luanne, while
doing so, she asked a couple questions to be answered.

Something came over me, all I said was, "put your hand
between both of mine", and that is when I discovered
what later I learned was called Psychometry. But because
I do it with an Individual, I call it one-on-one psychometry.
From that I wanted to try something else a few months
later that I internally believed I could do. While doing a
reading at an individual's home, the person mentioned
her dead husband. My internal feelings told me to tell
her to bring me an item of his. That was the start of
my Psychometry with an item of a loved one who
has passed away. Being able to do that for others
who have lossed a loved one, is very special to
my heart.

I started to pick up more books in the new-age field,
as I was now going deeper for answers, something
spiritual in knowledge was opening up thanks to our
Amy who was still working with me.

Then the miracle that the medical field called a miracle
happened for my granddaughter, it was wished upon by
me, a wishing and praying that went deep into the soul
and I even offered up my own life in exchange for
this little baby to be cured, as I lived my life.

I call her 'God's little Angel'. The Spiritual side
provided the Miracle. I also started to receive dream
messages, one was - what I would have to do, because
of the miracle and that was to open more people up
to the experience of the Spiritual / Spirit World so
individuals know it exists by experiencing it.

That would happen with the paranormal outings and
I was gifted the ability to allow the happenings that
usually happen during my Circle of Energy at locations.
This has also has taken me beyond what I was originally
doing with my Circle of Energy, as once in awhile I end
up doing some type of conscious channeling.

Dream messages I still receive, to guide me in
the direction I should and should not go. Even
when to end some things. What I'm putting out
here today and your reading, was something as
a message to me in my mind told to do.

One message a couple month ago was that I paid
my debt to the Spiritual side for the Miracle for I'm
a total believer in it and that has been shown by me
in requesting other healing miracles at times and
knowing where the living human abilities are limited
when dealing with the Spiritual and Spirit side and
much more that I will not discuss here as it is
Internal knowledge gifted and if only needed by one,
to be shared knowledge. But for me to also never
forget that one will not know all until one becomes
a non living soul again, nor is one more powerful
then the Spiritual world.

Different knowledge found in books:
Doing searches for different topics and knowledge in
the New Age books area, I started to come across
books in the Magic field by some of the same authors
who wrote for the New Age book publishers, but these
where not magic as we know it from TV and actually
most have nothing to do with TV magic, they go much
deeper in thought and thinking.

The other thing I found out, is these books where in many
cases limited editions, as they where learning tools and
took the reader or student deeper then the books they
sold on the New age shelf on the same subject. So
what was one thing at the age of 5 for me, came around
again full circle at a whole different and unknown level
to me.

What many get confused about, is these books do speak
of the belief and true psychic abilities, instincts, internal
knowledge. They also bring back a nice return on the
original investment in them because they are in many
cases limited additions of print. Some people actually
make a nice side income getting their hands on these
books and reselling them at a later time, something
I was forced to do with a nice collection of some I had
that went back as far as the 1940's. I had to sell a few
to put a gift for each of my children and my granddaughter,
under the Christmas tree in 2005.

What is amazing also, some of the books that are a bit
hard to find, go deeper into doing séances more then the
new age books. I'm not talking about the gimmick and
tools séances in the total darkness or better yet, the
spook shows. I'm talking the lights on séances, where
nothing is used.. But the sad thing is the majority of
people and without the knowledge to know better, see
these as only one thing because of where these unique
books can only be found.

Even though I can do what I do in total sunlight and have
done so many of times, the darkness allows the senses
of others to open up and experience. As they say about
those that are blind (living in total darkness), they at times
can see better then those who are not blind.

Also some of the books allow you to become aware of
what may not be true 100% Psychic abilities or Paranormal
activities. I've posted in the past if your allowed to tape
at a Psychic reading, tell the reader you would like to know
what type of tape to get for their recorder and use your tape
if possible. It's just a suggestion because of what I read that
has and can be been done if the reader may be the one who
provides the tape.

Also I showed a link recently to a little video on You Tube,
that showed how one could be fooled by the use of what
appears as a ghost on a cell phone.

The cell phone thing I knew about over a year ago and had
to break the news then to an innocent individual who was
duped by someone he worked with that showed him the
cell phone appearing ghost. When the video appeared
on You Tube, it confirmed what I told him, even though
it was over a year later from when I told him.

During our Internet radio broadcast show on Karma,
we received a phone call into the show thanking me
for giving out the link to the video, as this was a friend
of the individual that was duped by the ghost on the
camera phone and she also just needed that proof to
actually see what I was talking about.

Well that is a short story about what has been actually
a long journey. It will go on, as what is written here is
like the cap on this leg of the journey and expanding on
to another. One that may be more for the general public
and their enjoyment then those in the Paranormal Field
as one would call it.

My readings and demonstrations of abilities have always
been basically for the general public and not a source
for religious beliefs or to be accepted in or by a religious
belief. I'm a firm believer we all have abilities to know and
all have internal knowledge, different degrees and levels for
each individual.

Blessings,

Edward L. Shanahan, The Unexplained World
http://theunexplainedworld.com

(c) 2007 Edward L. Shanahan