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February 23 through March 1, 2026

The main thing to keep an eye on this week is Mercury going retrograde on Wednesday. As we know, Mercury can start acting up about a week before it actually goes retrograde, causing electronic issues, miscommunication, and items going missing, even though you know you just set them down somewhere! Monday’s Taurus Moon sets the stage for a productive week; just be sure to double-check facts, figures, and appointments. Tuesday through Thursday, we’ll be operating under a Gemini Moon, which happens to be the sign that Mercury rules, so when it goes retrograde on Wednesday, our best line of defense is communication and researching things. Always double-check anything you hear, rather than assuming that everyone else knows what's going on! Friday and Saturday, we’ll focus on home and family as the Cancer Moon turns our attention to re-balancing our personal worlds. The Moon dances into Leo on Sunday, promising a fun-loving and easy-going day!

Ghost Hunting in the Gilded Age, by Rich Newman

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

We live in a fantastic time to be paranormal enthusiasts. Dozens of ghost hunting programs are currently featured on television. There are websites dedicated to developing and selling ghost hunting gear, and tourism for haunted locations is so high that hotels and restaurants often post their ghost stories right on their own websites. But, believe it or not, this isn't the first time that America has been captured by the mystique of ghosts and hauntings.

After Margaretta and Catherine Fox claimed to have made contact with a spirit in Hydesville, New York in 1848, a new movement quickly swept across the country: Spiritualism. Not to be confused with Spiritism (a movement started by Allan Kardec in the 1850s that was largely concerned with reincarnation), Americans were suddenly holding séances in their homes, playing with talking boards, and having parties all concerned with speaking to the dead.

While most of the ghostly activity of this period is associated with the use of mediums—people with the psychic ability to channel spirits and even allow them to temporarily possess them—there were also techniques used by the psychically challenged to interact with spirits, too. Many of these were quite effective and can even be used today by modern ghost hunters. Let's talk about a few of these.

Setting aside the use of a medium (a practice that is actually used by some paranormal groups today), the most common means of spectral communication by Spiritualists was a technique known as "table turning." Also known as table tilting, table tipping, and table tapping, this involved a group of people sitting around a small, light (usually round) table with their finger tips resting gently on the surface. A designated speaker would then ask questions from any spirits who were present and ask that he/she turn or tilt the table. Sometimes this would be more of a vibration than dramatic movement, but any activity would pretty much be interpreted as interaction. If a spirit was particularly energetic, the speaker might then ask questions with one-word answers, and then proceed to slowly say the alphabet. The spirit could then move the table when certain letters were said to spell out a word.

Today, this practice is simply known as table tipping, and I've seen it used in the field a number of times. In my experience it seems to work best when yes or no questions are asked and the spirit is directed to interact with the table to answer. For instance, the speaker might say, "Please let us know when what I say is correct. Did you live in this house?" If there was an answering movement involved with the table, it would be taken as a "yes."

Another simple, but effective, item that Spiritualists would use is the candle. In addition to lighting the parlor for a séance, candles were often used by a small group to indicate when a ghost was present. This typically involved placing a single candle on a mantle or table, eliminating any wind moving through the room by closing doors and windows, and then the Spiritualists sitting on the other side of the room (so nobody could inadvertently blow out the candle). A speaker would then entreat any spirits to indicated their presence by blowing out the candle.

I have to admit that this sounds like the premise for a low budget horror movie, on par with the old Bloody Mary legend, but it's actually quite viable for the present day with a small, but recommended, change. Instead of simply sitting the candle away from everyone, a better way to guard against accidentally blowing it out would be to surround it with glass or plexiglass—essentially sitting it inside a small, transparent box. You would, of course, still need to have the top open to allow the flame to burn, but with high enough walls you could be assured that any extinguished candles were not the result of a wandering breeze.

A popular variation of this technique is something that modern ghost hunters call the "Irish Wind Chime." Essentially it's exactly the same premise as the candle-in-a-cage, only you are placing a small set of wind chimes that are hanging from a mini stand under a glass "hurricane"-style cover. Since they are sitting in a micro, sealed environment, any movement of the chimes would be an indicator of a spiritual presence. Care just has to be taken to insure that nothing is shaking the area where the chimes are sitting.

The most controversial method used by Gilded Age ghost hunters was, without a doubt, the infamous "talking board." After frustrated Spiritualists got tired of the slow method of speaking to the dead by reading aloud the alphabet, it only goes to reason that some enterprising soul would think to simply write the letters and numbers on a table of sorts. The actual origin of the talking board is something of a mystery, but most historians agree that it began making appearances in parlors during the late 1880s.

What we now think of as the "Ouija Board" was first marketed by the Kennard Novelty Company in the early 1890s. Some have supposed that the name came from the combined French (oui) and German (ja) words for "yes," but talking board historian Robert Murch has stated that the name was supplied by a medium named Helen Peters who claimed she got the moniker from a spirit she communicated with via a board. She said that it meant "good luck."

Spiritualists loved the Ouija Board, and by 1893 it was a best selling novelty of the day. Interestingly, in order to sell the device to the public, the Kennard Novelty Company had to prove to the patent office that it worked. After a quick session where the board spelled out the name of the patent officer, it was granted its patent and the new craze began.

The modern version of the talking board, or Ouija Board (as Hasbro still markets it), might be made of plastic and cardboard vs. the original wood, but it essentially is the same. The alphabet, numbers, and words "yes, no, hello, and goodbye" adorn the board, while a planchette is used to communicate with spirits.

Just as they were used in the Gilded Age, two or more people are supposed to sit around the board with their fingers lightly touching the planchette. Questions are then asked and the planchette (hopefully) moves to the appropriate answers—sometimes spelling out words, dates, etc. During the late 1800s, the talking board was a popular parlor activity, with the only negative being the possibility that somebody among them was purposely pushing the planchette.

Today the board is still popular, but it has a bit of a mixed reception. Thanks to a few popular horror movies, and rather vocal followers of organized religion, many believe that these boards are "evil" and used, exclusively, to speak to non-human entities, such as "demons," "djinn," etc. This is, of course, nonsense. There is nothing inherently evil in a Hasbro board game—or any other incarnation of the talking board. Like most objects used to interact with the dead, there is nothing inherently good or bad about it.

In fact, the linking of the talking board with the occult and evil practices is a modern belief that began in the 1970s (with some pointing directly at the book/film The Exorcist as the cause). Before then, the most famous case involving a talking board is that of Pearl Curran who came into contact with a spirit named "Patience Worth" via a board. Curran would produce novels, poetry, and other prose all supposedly sourced from Patience Worth. But this is hardly anything of a sinister nature.

Much like practitioners at the turn of the century, you, too, can use a talking board while ghost hunting, but you might want to make sure that everyone present is okay with it before doing so. There's no sense in scaring or angering anyone. Ironically, I'd actually suggest using it without any human interaction. Since plastic is such a poor conductor of electricity/energy, there's really no need for anyone to place their fingers on the planchette. Just use the lightest planchette possible and ask any spirits present to move it. If anyone wants to "share energy" with spirits via a planchette, I'd suggest constructing one of copper or aluminum for better conductivity.

The last thing I'd like to touch on concerning Spiritualism is the concept of "debunking." While there were certainly hardcore followers who were quick to believe most everything was of a paranormal nature, there were also practitioners of the day who reveled in exposing fraudulent mediums, fakery, and criticizing the new practice of "spirit photography."

Much like today, one of the favorite tools of Victorian ghost hunters was the use of a camera. Taking photos before and during séances often produced images of spirits, and would sometimes capture live activity in the parlor, such as the appearance of "ectoplasm." People like famed illusionist Harry Houdini took great delight in debunking double exposures and ectoplasm that would actually be various substances, including cheesecloth and a potato starch/gelatin that was usually swallowed and then regurgitated during the séance.

In many ways, fake spirit photography in the Gilded Age is quite similar to modern ghost hunting photos and the appearance of "orbs." Thankfully, many of us take a cue from Mr. Houdini and take the time to scrutinize photos taken from haunted places—and we debunk our own photos that contain orbs that are nothing more than bits of airborne dust, pollen, etc.

So, while we may think of Spiritualism as a movement from the late 1800s—and perhaps a bit outdated—the truth is that we have taken a lot from our ghost hunting ancestors. And though we may be safe with throwing out some of their more outlandish forms of communicating with the dead (I don't think the "spirit trumpet" will be coming back into fashion any time soon), every time we ask a ghost to make a rapping sound for us, or take part in a table tipping session, we are continuing an American tradition. One that, thankfully, won't be ending any time soon.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2021. All rights reserved.

I recently had a powerful dream or OBE of hurricanes. In the dream, there were five hurricanes coming up my road, and as they got closer, they formed into one big one. I got scared, and the first thing I tried to do was get my dogs from the porch to the basement. Then I saw and heard my brother telling me to calm down and knock it off. I woke up about then. Before this dream, I rarely thought of hurricanes aside from those I heard about in the news, but lately it seems like I've heard lots of references to them - far more than usual. As I live in New York state, it's not likely that we're going to get hit by a hurricane soon. I'm wondering if this dream was symbolic, or if perhaps I tuned in to something happening elsewhere. Your thoughts?

B.

Astrea:

I DO live where there is a constant threat of a hurricane coming right up my road from June 1 until December 1. I don't fear them because they usually go elsewhere, though Ike changed life in Texas forever. He came in a just a few miles from here. I let my husband put just one board on one window. I felt like a quitter!

In all the years I've been near the coast, I've never dreamed of a storm coming. The storms in my life are pretty obvious ones, so I don't transfer them to OBEs or dream experiences.

A storm in a dream is representative of a storm that is going on either within you or around you in your life. We have a saying in my family: A dream may seem but it sews a seam, meaning that people, places and actions in the Dream World aren't actualities; instead, they represent what is going on with the person dreaming.

Dreams point out things that need to change in our lives. To the dreamer, they're usually not obvious because you feel the dream as you're having it. Telling it to someone else can help because the person outside the dream has more perspective.

The five hurricanes in your dream represent your five senses: taste, touch, smell, hearing and sight. They join into one big storm as they come up your road, which means that something is going on around you to make you sense a storm coming.

Someone you love is about to blow his or her top, or someone at work is about to lose their temper. There is an internal storm going on within you that you translated into that dream or OBE.

What big storm is going on in your own life right now? What are you sensing about a person or situation that is important to you that you have been ignoring? Your subconscious is trying to tell you that you sense what is wrong and that you can change it before the storm begins.

Would it take a huge hurricane for you to use your senses to make the changes that you feel are necessary to end this inner storm? A dramatic change is taking place for you, that's for sure.

If you're unaware of what it is, meditate and use your five senses plus that psychic sense to find out what you're missing. Something is telling you something very important. You know what it is; you just haven't consciously processed it yet.

Although a hurricane is a big wind, it also carries lots and lots of water moving in all different directions. In magic circles, water represents emotions. This has to be something big and something very emotionally charged that you're experiencing. Your job is to get conscious of what this is all about.

*****

Susyn:

It's not uncommon to have dreams that reflect things we have been hearing or seeing on television or the radio, so it could be that information that was coming your way through the media while you were awake appeared in your dream.

However, it is just as common for our dreams to reflect events that are happening at a distance, or to have an out of body experience that takes us into the midst of something that is occurring elsewhere. Either way, when a dream has a profound effect on us, as this one did on you, it's almost guaranteed that there are personal messages and symbolism contained within the dream that we can use to enlighten ourselves.

When conducting dream interpretations, I often focus on the emotions one is feeling during the dream as well as who is in the dream with them and any numbers, colors and repeating events the client can recall.

When you found yourself in the midst of an oncoming hurricane or series of them in your dream, it was natural to become afraid and to try to get your dogs and yourself to safety. In this way, the dream was meant as a warning to you, and it was urging you into action. This could reflect an area of your life in which you feel threatened, though it may not have anything to do with the weather.

You state that you witnessed five hurricanes (or funnel clouds) approaching, which then merged into one. In numerology, the number five represents the human body, the five elements, strength, endurance and the zodiac sign of Leo.

Leo represents the self, the heart and the ego. The number one also represents the self. Because of this, the hurricane's transformation from five into one could represent less significant aspects of yourself that are in turmoil that could turn into bigger troubles.

Because you were awakened by your brother before the dream was over, it could be difficult to determine just which areas within you are in turmoil. You may want to write this dream down in more detail and further explore on paper the major areas of your life so you can determine which are out of balance.

Begin by investigating where you stand regarding your health, finances, career, relationships and personal care. Because dreams about hurricanes represent a lack of control, it should be easy to spot where any of these areas might need attention. Once you get them down on paper, it will be easy to determine which steps to take next.

If everything is fine in all areas of your life, you can attribute the dream to the influence of the media around the time this dream occurred.

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.