My name is Sally. I was in my bed sleeping when I was awakened by the sound of a door opening and closing. It wasn't my bedroom door; it sounded different. I felt a gust of air breeze pass me, then a man whisper the name "Claire." I didn't reply, because I wasn't sure what I had heard. Then the voice again whispered "Claire." I replied in a strange voice that didn't sound like mine that I was not Claire. The voice then immediately whispered, "What is your name?" I forced myself to wake up. I thought if he was a guide or an angel, he should know my name. I didn't know who or what I was talking to, so I ended the conversation and stayed up until dawn. I said lots of positive affirmations for protection. Do you think this was sinister? It didn't feel bad or good either way. I say a selection of protective affirmations at my bedroom door each time I go to bed, and it hasn't come back. What should I do if it does? I would love to hear your opinion and get some input. Many Thanks! Peace and Light!
- Sally
Dreamchaser:
Good luck with those affirmations. As far as I know, affirmations have never stopped ghosts from doing their thing. Yes, I said ghosts. I LOVE this story because it is such a good ghost story, and you gave us so many great details.
I have said many times in this column that there are different kinds of hauntings. Sometimes the person is haunted by a particular spirit, sometimes the house itself is haunted by something that happened there or someone who lived there, or sometimes the land is haunted. Remember, land has been here forever. Even if you built the home you're living in now, that doesn't mean nothing was there before your house.
The first clue to what is happening here is your revelation that the door closing did not sound like your bedroom door. The reason it didn't sound like your door is because it wasn't. The land your house is built on is haunted - not your house. The sounds you heard were from another time and another house that was built on your land back then. The man was the owner of the house, and Claire was his woman. He was looking for her, and found you. That's why he didn't know your name.
Very often, ghosts do not understand what is going on any more than we do. I am sure he was as surprised to find you in bed as you were to hear him. He was simply looking for Claire, but he found himself in a strange place, with a strange woman. When you told him that you were not Claire, he naturally asked who you were then.
He is not a negative being - he is not evil or bad. He is just stuck. If you want to try to clear your house out, I suggest you start with sage. Grab a sage bundle from a local New Age shop or order some off the Internet. Burn the sage and walk through every room of your house, making sure smoke goes along every wall and into every corner. Don't forget closets, but be careful that you don't set your clothes on fire!
Once your house has been saged, you'll know that no more negative energy is there at all. Then you can get down to helping this spirit get to the Otherside. Simply say out loud, "I know you are here. We met one night while I was sleeping. You are not alive on Earth anymore. You died some time ago. Claire is on the Otherside already. If you go to the Light, you can find her. I am sure she is waiting for you, so go to the Light."
Please remember that it is his choice to go to the Light or not. Usually, however, telling a ghost that they are dead will help them make sense of the weird loop they find themselves in, and once they do that, they'll want to head on to the Light.
You have nothing to fear from this spirit. I wish you uninterrupted sleep.
*****
Astrea:
I see how it would be possible for you to think this visit was something sinister. In the first place, it can be very unsettling to have an unknown entity show up uninvited. This one even brought his own creepy sound effects with him: the door opening! It gives me chills when I think about it!
He was looking for "Claire" though - not for you. The voice you answered him in was your FEARFUL voice, so I'm sure you didn't sound like yourself. He moved on once he realized that you weren't the person he was seeking.
Perhaps your aura or vibration "called" him to you, or something he felt about you reminded him of Claire, so he thought he would give you a shot, just in case. He seems to have been VERY TIRED when he spoke to you, so he must have been looking for her for a long time. I feel such sadness around him.
I'm sorry he frightened you. That was absolutely the LAST thing he wanted to do! If he returns, be sure to try to send him on into the Light, because I feel he is still wandering, searching for Claire. She was either someone to whom he owes a great Karmic Debt, or someone he loved very dearly - or both. Your essence reminded him of Claire in some way, and that's why he was drawn to make the great effort to speak to you.
While it's possible that this could have been someone from a past incarnation who was traveling around the Universe looking for you, it's more likely that he was someone who got lost on his way from one spot to another. Your visitor was one of those spirits who was passing through this dimension to Beyond the Veil.
Since this was somewhat of an isolated incident, I feel that it was just something that happened once and probably won't happen again. Your affirmations should protect you if it does, so you needn't worry when you're in that house or anywhere else you go.
Many times, spirits who are in the process of "crossing over" get distracted before they get to Heaven, either because they are pulled back to the Earth Plane by a loved one, or because they want to stay here so much it causes them to sort of "miss the boat." Then they get trapped here for a while.
Sensitive people often have these visitors, and you might want to explore what you could do as a medium to connect the people who are gone with their loved ones who are still here. I feel that you probably have a natural talent for spirit communication. Often it's not the most pleasant thing to do, because the people who are left here are usually VERY sad. Still, it's a great service that you could do for others if you feel drawn to it. Explore it and see what you can do, then let your heart and spirit guide you.
Astrea:
Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.
Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!
While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!
I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!
As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.
I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.
You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!
Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.
A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.
You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.