Demon Lemon

I, uh, sorta petered out with last month's Demonic December...so I'll be sprinkling in some demonic-themed posts throughout the next couple of weeks to make up for it! Happy New Year!

On a non-related note, I fully endorse teaching cursive in schools, lol. I do understand that it is a useful skill, especially for people like me to analyze old documents all the time. However, I don't think it should be put above subjects such as math, reading, science and social studies...but I may be changing my mind if something like this were to happen to me!

Theresa's Travels: Archive of the Afterlife Museum

Archive of the Afterlife is located in the old Sanford School

West Virginia is an awesome place for the paranormal enthusiast---our Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum and WV State Penitentiary consistently show up on lists of "Most Haunted" locations throughout the country and even the world. Numerous television shows, including the Dead Files, Ghost Hunters, and Ghost Adventures, have filmed the spooky experiences of our residents. Our Greenbank Observatory is helping lead the way into potential extraterrestrial contact. We've got the first ghost to ever testify in a court of law, leading to a murder conviction. And...we've got some pretty awesome, yet spooky MUSEUMS!

Most paranormal enthusiasts are familiar with the world's only Mothman Museum, located in Pt. Pleasant, WV...but there's another wonderful paranormal-themed museum in the northern part of our state that is definitely worth checking out: The Archive of the Afterlife.

Located just down the road from the WV State Penitentiary in Moundsville, the Archive of the Afterlife Museum is a fascinating repository of history, culture, and all things spooky!  Since 2011, curator and owner, Steve Hummel, has worked tirelessly to amass and share a collection of haunted artifacts and pieces of paranormal history from throughout West Virginia and beyond.

The Archive of the Afterlife isn't huge---in fact, it's a little on the small side. However, it is absolutely PACKED to overflowing with items that would make Zak Bagans salivate, lol. You could spend hours in there and probably not get a good look at EVERY item that makes up the collection.

Can't make it to the Warren's Museum in Connecticut to see Annabelle, the haunted doll? No worries---the Archive of the Afterlife has MULTIPLE dolls that are not only creepy to look at, but who have shown definite signs of being haunted/possessed. Want to see the long-lost skull cap from the State Pen's Ol' Sparky? You can find that here as well! You can find haunted portraits, military memorabilia, death/life masks, and plenty more. I just think its awesome that we have this type of place right here in the Mountain State!

My family and I visited this wonderful attraction last summer during our weekend in Moundsville. Of course, I was in Heaven, and probably a little overwhelmed with all there was to see. I worried that my 7-year-old son would be bored stupid, but to my surprise, he enjoyed it as well. He had a weird fascination with this creepy 'Charlie' Doll, and requested I take his photo with it for posterity. He was also drawn to a haunted edition of Dr. Seuss' famous Foot Book that apparently carries the memory (and a blood stain) of a quadruple homicide. That was probably MY favorite artifact as well, but like I said, there was so much to look at and read about that it was really hard to choose just one top item.

In addition to the collection of artifacts, Steve and his museum also offer a variety of special events, including the 2018 Grave City Haunted Relic Expo January 20th! And....I'll be there! I have rented a vendor table to promote Theresa's Haunted History and will be selling some ghostly household items and other sundries. If you're going to be in the area, please stop in and say hi! Admission is only $5, which includes access to the vendor area, live music, and tons of AWESOME speakers and presenters. You can find the whole lineup and more information at the EVENT PAGE.

The museum is located on the second floor of  the Sanford Center (1600 3rd St., Moundsville, WV, at the corner of 3rd and Cedar). From April to November, the museum is open from 1pm to 6pm, Tuesday through Saturday. December through March, the museum is open from 1pm to 6pm on Fridays and Saturdays only. Admission is just $3/person or $5/couple. Please see official WEBSITE and Facebook page for more information. This location is a MUST-SEE, and is an easy stop for anyone coming in from out of town to investigate or take a tour of the penitentiary. Also, make plans to attend this year's Haunted Relic Expo, and make sure you stop by and say hi to me!

Book Review: The Book of Yokai

Title: The Book of Yokai
Author: Michael Dylan Foster
Illustrations by: Shinonome Kijin
Published: 2015 by University of California Press
Amazon Purchase Information

Last month I finished up what I am calling my favorite book of 2017...and possibly my favorite 'paranormal' nonfiction book in a long, long time. But before I get into the book itself, a little history on why I even chose this title...

For the past couple of years, my son has really enjoyed the show, Yokai Watch. He has binge-watched all the episodes offered by Netflix SEVERAL times now, plays several video games featuring Yokai, and has read several of the easy readers devoted to the series. I started watching the show with him and found it absolutely delightful! It's cute, its funny, it has some humor that adults can appreciate without being crass, AND its about a subject that is near and dear to my heart. As you know, I absolutely LOVE anything considered strange and unusual within the paranormal realm.

Each summer, I have Luke pick a topic that he's interested in. As part of summer 'Mom School,' we take a really in-depth look at the subject and do all sorts of fun activities associated with it. It's a way to keep him learning all summer long without making it feel like he's actually learning anything. This summer he chose real-life yokai as his topic, and of course, I was thrilled. To help prepare for our studies, I added The Book of Yokai to my Amazon cart.

While we did use the Yokai Codex to look up particular yokai, but life got in the way, and I never got around to reading and utilizing the other half of the book. That is, until early December!

If you're wondering what the heck I'm talking about, "yokai" is a pretty broad term used in Japan to denote a wide variety of paranormal entities. Ghosts, monsters, spirits...these things are all considered yokai. And if you ever wanted to know ANYTHING about yokai, I would highly recommend picking up a copy of this book!

The Book of Yokai is divided into two sections. The first part of the book is a scholarly and pretty thorough exploration of the yokai culture. While these beings are considered supernatural, they actually hold an extremely prominent place in Japanese history. Their stories have been passed down from generation to generation, changing with the changing times. Some yokai are known throughout the country, while others are not known outside their small villages. Yokai star in movies, manga, television shows and video games. They even promote tourism and act as mascots for product brands. Yokai truly are ingrained into the Japanese culture and there have been many prominent academics and folklorists who have dedicated their lives to their study.

The second section of the book is the Yokai Codex---a sampling of different yokai one may encounter. Enhanced by both historical artwork and original drawings by Shinonome Kijin, each entry gives as much as history and as clear as a description as possible. You'll learn about the Kappa, a water yokai who loves cucumbers, Kasa-Bake, who is an umbrella monster, and the popular Slit-Mouthed Woman who terrorizes children walking home from school...just to name a few.

Obviously, this is a topic that can never be fully exhausted in just one book or one list, but Foster does an excellent job in choosing some iconic and well as some obscure yokai to discuss. He also does a fantastic job in explaining the topic of yokai to a western audience. Again, this isn't something easily done, nor possible to exhaust in one book, but The Book of Yokai is a great introduction as well as a useful resource for the more knowledgeable researcher. There are times where it gets a little repetitive, but overall, its well-written, entertaining, and full of wonderful information about a fascinating topic.

*Want More Book Reviews?*

Looking for Guest Bloggers!

Do you have a paranormal experience you're willing to share with the world? Are you a paranormal investigator or researcher looking for some FREE promotion? Are you knowledgeable in the paranormal, UFOlogy, cryptozoology, or history fields and want to share your expertise?

Then I'm looking for you! Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State is searching for guest bloggers! 

As part of my plans for 2018, I'd like to incorporate more personal stories and experiences from my readers, as well as spotlight those working tirelessly in the field of paranormal investigation and/or research. And, I'm not gonna lie---it's going to be a busy year for me, and if I can get a few guest bloggers submitting content every now and then, it would REALLY help me keep the content on here fresh and interesting! 

If you're interested, here's what you need to know:

1. This is NOT a paid gig:  Unfortunately, I don't really make any money from this blog, and therefore, do not have the budget to hire a staff of writers. You will, however, be given full credit for your content, which will be shared on various social media sites, the same as my other blog posts. You may also share the post wherever and whenever YOU like. You may also include  links to your website or any social media sites you own within the blog. I cannot guarantee a specific number of hits, but on average, my blog gets about 1000 unique visitors.

2. You may submit as many blog posts as you'd like. If you have just one experience you'd like to share, I'd love to share it for you! If you'd like to submit a series of articles, photos, etc., that's great, too! I do, ask, however, that blogs be at least 500 words in length, with some exceptions allowed.

3. You do not have to write your own post. If you have an experience or piece of evidence you'd love to share, but hate writing, I'll be happy to write the actual blog post for you. You will still receive credit for the story and/or evidence. You may choose to include your full name, partial name, or submit anonymously. 

4. I reserve the right to turn down any submissions that I feel don't fit in with the mission of Theresa's Haunted History. Stories that contain references to illegal activity (such as trespassing), are not related to the topics mentioned above, or that badmouth another team/investigator/researcher will not be allowed. Posts related to the tri-state area of West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky will be given first priority.

5. I reserve the right to edit any submissions for minor grammar/spelling errors. If more editing needs to be done on my part, a final draft will be sent to the author for review before being published. 

If after all that you're still interested or would like more information, please send me a message via Facebook, or email me at theresarhps@yahoo.com with the subject of Guest Blogger. I look forward to hearing from you! Stay spooky!

Theresa's Haunted History Welcomes 2018!

Image from Shutterstock

Tonight, we say goodbye to 2017 and welcome in a new year full of new hopes and new possibilities. This past year wasn't the greatest for Theresa's Haunted History---between bouts of depression and lack of motivation, I just don't feel like I accomplished very much. Therefore, I'm MORE than ready to usher in a new year and another chance to move on.

I've got some pretty awesome things in the works for this year, and I wanted to share them with you all! So, here's my Paranormal New Year's Resolutions for 2018...ya'll make sure I stay accountable and actually get at least SOME of these done!

1. Increase Posting: I have a bad habit of going through these phases where I'll post every day for a couple of weeks at a time...and then stop for over a month. I went nearly 6 months without a single post earlier this year and that is something I NEVER want to do again. Not only do I want to do WAY better than this year's measly 51 posts, but I want to make sure I stay consistent as well.

2. Start a YouTube Channel: My goal is to make several micro-documentary style videos on various paranormal topics of interest to the tri-state. I'd also like to do some review-style videos and maybe showcase some actual investigations, field work, and/or experiments.

3. Book!: I've been saying this for YEARS and the truth is, I pretty much HAVE a book ready to be self-published at any time. However, like with most of what I do in regards to Theresa's Haunted History, I am my own worst enemy. I am WAY too thin-skinned, lol. I feel like that whatever I try, there's already someone out there who has not only done it already, but has done it way better than I ever could. I just got a really strongly worded comment on how awful my historical research was and it is taking everything I have to not just give up completely. I feel like the second I publish a book, all I'm gonna get is hate-mail about how awful and inaccurate it is. But, I'm gonna try to bite the bullet and overcome my fears. Keep an eye out for updates!

There are a few other things that I'm working on for the next few months. On a personal level, I'm planning on continuing my reiki studies and finally taking the MUFON certification test. You can always follow me on Facebook or on Twitter for updates, news, and all sorts of other fun stuff.

I sincerely hope that you have had a wonderful 2017 and will have an even better 2018! Thank you so much for supporting and encouraging me through the tough times. Be safe out there tonight and make the coming year your best one yet!  Stay Spooky, and let me know what YOUR spooky resolutions are for 2018!

Friday Funny: Exorcising Season!

We're just a few more days away from the end of 2017 and the beginning of 2018! If you're already starting to make your list of New Year's Resolutions, perhaps you've included a goal of losing weight? Working out? Getting healthier?  If your 2018 includes plans on joining your local gym or breaking out your own treadmill, then let this Friday Funny serve as a spooky inspiration for you! I hope you had a great 2017 and that 2018 is a good one as well!

Luke Meets Krampus...AGAIN

On December 9th, my family and I traveled to Mike Winland Studios in Kanawha City. Our mission was to once again face off against everyone's favorite holiday monster, Krampus!

Mike Winland, creator of the West Virginia horror and sci-fi convention, Shocka-Con, is a local artist and photographer with a flair for the spooky and unusual. We were thrilled that he was offering this opportunity to sit for a professional photo shoot with such an awesome Krampus! The prices were extremely reasonable for the prints, and Mr. Krampus himself was quite entertaining. We may have to pay for some therapy for Luke later on, but it was all worth it for this shot!

In case you're not familiar with Krampus, he's the not-so-lovable companion to St. Nicholas. On the night of December 5th, while St. Nicholas is busy throughout eastern Europe leaving presents for good little boys and girls, Krampus is out roaming the countryside for the naughty ones. If you're just a little naughty, he might just leave a birch switch for your parents to beat you with. If you're REALLY naughty, you might end up being spirited away in Krampus' sack of horrors!

Luke was a very good boy this year, but there was no convincing him that Krampus wasn't out to take him away, lol. And I don't blame him for being scared----we met a different Krampus last year at Oddbird Gift Emporium in Charleston. That Krampus was a well-spoken, non-threatening sort of interpretation, while the Mike Winland Krampus was the stuff nightmares are made of!

I really hope Mike Winland Studios offers this unique chance again next year. Yeah, its fun to be scared, but more importantly, the sharing of the Krampus legend preserves and introduces the culture, history, and folklore that many around here might not otherwise get to experience. So keep an eye out for next year to see if Krampus shall return...and until then, watch for other great events. The studio is not only a REALLY unique place to get photos done year round, but also houses an art gallery full of wonderful pieces for sale.

Click HERE if you'd like to see our experience with Krampus in 2016!