Monday, March 31

Meaningful White Feathers As Messages From The Dead

White feathers

It's been awhile, but I'm back to the white feather theme again today. Here are three experiences from Emma, Jody and anonymous - my thanks to them for telling their stories.

"Thank you for your posts about white feathers it has helped explain to me that it isn't simply my imagination that such things happen.

I read that you had three people close to you who died in a short period of time. The same has happened to me and each time I have seen white feathers.

The first time it didn't mean much to me, it was like, "Oh, there's a white feather at the graveside." The second time I thought it a coincidence that it had happened twice. But it happened again last week and it's then that I searched Google and found your posts.

My sister died of cancer. It was expected, but nevertheless a great shock when it actually happened. The moment before she died she looked brighter, smiled and said what sounded like, "Hello grandma."

As I went to leave her room at the hospice there was a large white feather resting in the doorway.

At my sister's funeral, at the graveside as they lowered the coffin, another fluffy white feather fluttered down from somewhere and settled on her coffin. It was very strange but somehow it made me feel better about my loss.

Afterwards my brother asked if I'd seen the white feather, so it was for real.

Since then I've seen several feathers and each time I say a thank you to my sister."

~ Emma

"I had never heard this before [about white feathers] but about three years ago after my beloved cousin had taken her own life and I was writing my aunt my condolences I looked out and amongst the pouring rain I saw a lone white feather ascending skyward somehow avoiding the rain ... I had no doubt in my mind it was her ... showing me she was at peace. Crazy.

~ Jody Johnson

"I've never heard of white feathers as messages from the dead - until I read this here. But my spiritual teacher, who is now dead, has been sending me white feathers for years. He does it when I've been 'worrying' a problem and think I might have arrived at the right answer."

~ Anonymous

Please also see:
10 White Feather Story Posts As Examples Of Messages From The Dead

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Sunday, March 30

You Can Have Too Many Beans In Life

Beans joke old picture

What's wrong with beans on a Thursday? Nothing, if you haven't been eating them continuously. As Francis Bacon said, "Nothing is pleasant that is not spiced with variety."

And that's life for you. It's about change. Change happens but we can also alter our lives, if they aren't quite perfect, by change.

Family at seaside

Mum and Dad who take their kids to the seaside for a few days and paddle in the ocean feel great. They'll say it's the sea and the sun that has done the trick. They are partly right but it is the change from the sameness pattern of everyday life that has worked the magic.

Sometimes we have to change and adjust to fully appreciate life. There's a special thrill about starting something new or going somewhere different.

That's all, just a few rambling thoughts!

Confucius saying

More Change Posts:
Using The Law Of Change To Our Advantage
The Law Of Change
The Miracle Of A Flower Could Change Our Whole Life

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Friday, March 28

A Deaf Woman Hears For The Very First Time At 40


Joanne Milne, age 40, from Gateshead, England, was born deaf, and during her 20s also began to lose her sight because of the rare medical condition Usher Syndrome. Last month she was fitted with cochlear implants and after 40 years of silence the procedure has meant that she is now able to hear.

Her mother captured the incredible moment on video when Joanne hears a nurse going through the days of the week - the first words or sound she has ever heard.

It really struck home to me about how we take so much for granted, like sound and sight. Just think how wonderful it is to hear the birds singing, the sea rushing to the shore, the wind and, for me, moments like my little grandson saying, "Hello Granddad," and seeing his huge sparkling smile.

Gosh, most of us are so very lucky but never give it a second thought. We have so much to be grateful for.

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Thursday, March 27

Perhaps The Perfect Way To Die

Bridge hand

I don't know much about the bridge card game, but 80 year old Wendy Brown did. The Cornwall Contract Bridge Association described her as being 'Cornwall's highest ranked player - a Premier Life Master with nearly 350 green points.'

Sadly she has died, but in what would have been a special way for her.

Mrs Brown was playing bridge, during her regular Tuesday night game with friends. She died while holding a 'phenomenally rare' 29 points. The odds of receiving such a hand are said to be 150,00 to 1.

Fellow players called for an ambulance but paramedics were unable to revive her. So she died, with a perfect bridge hand, while indulging in her life long passion, and surrounded by her friends.

Her son, Charlie Brown, is quoted as saying, "When all is said and done, it was a lovely way to go. I can imagine the smile on her face when she looked at the cards and she knew she had a winning hand. She died doing what she loved to do,"

If we really do have to 'go' one day it's probably the perfect way: indulging our passion while surrounded by friends and loved ones.

Other 67 Not Out Posts:
The White Dove As A Messenger Of The Dead
The Ten Secrets To Living A Long Healthy Life
The Grandmother Who Became Her Granddaughter's Guardian Angel

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Wednesday, March 26

Surrounded By Titanic Coincidences

Titanic Lifeboat
Titanic Lifeboat
A quick post today.

Way back in 2010 I published a post Titanic Coincidences. Following on from this Tracy told me about her own 'coincidences' or 'connections' with the Titanic. Here we go:
  • Tracy's grandmother died on the 15th of April 1984 - the 72nd anniversary of the Titanic's sinking.

  • The survivors arrived in New York on Tracy's birthday: April 18th.

  • Tracy's surname is Shipp.

  • One of the victims was a T. Beattie - her initial and previous surname.

  • Some of those who lost their lives were buried in Nova Scotia (New Scotland) Halifax, Canada. Tracy lives in a place known as little Scotland, Halifax, Canada.
We are sometimes surrounded by synchronicity without ever realising.

Other Titanic Posts:
Titanic Coincidences
Titanic Pictures, Posts And Stories
The Titanic Boarding Pass Coincidence

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Tuesday, March 25

The Haunting Of The Scary Screaming Skulls

Screaming Skull

There is one category of ghost which appears to be unique to England - the Screaming Skulls.

It's usually the case that these skulls wish to continue living in spirit within some building or house. If there is ever any attempt to remove the skull from the premises then this is when all hell breaks loose. The skulls will protest with screaming, hauntings and poltergeist phenomena.

Some of the Screaming Skulls are those of people who - in days gone by - lost their heads through either execution or murder. Often they request to be buried within the walls of some building, which was meaningful to them prior to their death.

When in situ they are at peace but should they ever be moved or disturbed they will seek their revenge by bringing about some sort of bad luck or death to the culprits. They have also been known to damage the properties concerned.

Screaming skull
One example of this is the story of the Bettiscombe Manor Screaming Skull. If this should be removed the culprit will die within one year.

The Bettiscombe Manor story begins with Azariah Pinney, who had plantations in the West Indies way back in the late 1600s or 1700s. After completing his business overseas Pinney returned to England bringing with him a faithful slave.

The slave contracted tuberculosis. His death wish was to be buried in the West Indies but, because of the cost this would incur, he was buried instead in the local village churchyard. Blood curdling screams were soon heard emanating from the dead slave's grave. At the same time Bettiscombe Manor began to shake and rattle while all sort of misfortunes swamped the village.

The terrified villagers petitioned Pinney to take action. Pinney’s solution was to exhume the body and take it back to rest in the manor attic. This seems to have satisfied the slave.

Over time his body crumbled until all that remained was the skull.

Various attempts to remove the skull from the house have been met with unearthly screams.

Local tradition tells of a ghostly carriage which rattles it's way between Bettiscombe Manor and the churchyard on the anniversary of the death of the slave. This is referred to by villagers as 'the funeral procession of the skull.'

There is a strange postscript to this tale. In 1963 this particular Screaming Skull was examined by a pathologist. It was determined that the skull was actually between 3,000 and 4,000 years old and was of an European woman. Some believe the skull may therefore have originated from an Iron Age ritual site at Pilsdon Pen which is situated near the Manor house.

Screaming skull
Another famous Screaming Skull is known as Dickie. He is said to haunt Tunstead Farm, near Chapel-en-le-Frith. The story goes that Ned Dixon, an ancestor of the farmhouse owners, was murdered within the house and this is his skull.

Dickie, the skull, now functions as a guardian spirit for the farm. If strangers approach farm knockings will be heard.

On one occasion Dickie was stolen and taken to nearby Disley. The noise and racket that followed at both Tunstead Farm and Disley were so loud and unbearable that the thieves willingly returned the skull to its rightful home.

If you should find a skull in your home it might be advisable to let it remain at peace.

Other Scary Happenings:
The Black Stick Men Who Stalk Our World At Night
The Mystery Of The Enfield Poltergeist
The Faceless Female Ghosts Who Have Travelled The World

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Monday, March 24

The Fatwa, Noah And The Spirituality Of Russell Crowe

Russell Crowe in Noah
Russell Crowe in Noah - as featured in Event magazine
I'm not usually interested in the private thoughts or lives of actors, so called celebrities and so on but something I read about Russell Crowe rang true. He was talking about God and spirituality. This is what he is reported to have said by Event magazine (it comes free with the UK Sunday newspapers).

"I don't believe there's a crusty old bloke floating about on a cloud. I divide spirituality from religion. And I think organised religion has got a lot to answer for. How many wars have there been that haven't been based around an essential religious difference?

But I do believe in spirituality. I believe that God lives inside all of us. Life is about kindness and giving - that's the core of things. Gratitude is the most powerful thing you can have in your life. If you are grateful for small things, bigger things come. If you are cynical, the stuff you want to do never works out and your cynicism gets deepened and you get more embittered."

I don't he's too far away from the truth.

Crowe was talking on this subject because he has been working on a new movie, Noah, which is to be released in early April. The movie has already caused some controversy and this in turn illustrates a lot of the problems within organised religions.

Noah has been made the subject of a fatwa by some within Sunni Islam and has been banned by three countries already: Qatar, Bahrain and UAE. Event also claims that the movie is causing controversy "among Christian groups, particularly in the US, who are predicting the film will take liberties with the Book Of Genesis."

There will no doubt always be differing opinions about the Bible and whether it has been altered over the years. Crowe says that the director, Darren Aronofsky, has, "Read the translations of all the Bibles, from the Hebrew through to King James, and he's seen the way the story gets changed and perverted."

I'm far from an expert but I also believe that the Bible has been altered over the years and concur with what is written, for example, on the BBC News site by Roger Bolton. He writes:

"The world's oldest surviving Bible is in bits.

For 1,500 years, the Codex Sinaiticus lay undisturbed in a Sinai monastery, until it was found - or stolen, as the monks say - in 1844 and split between Egypt, Russia, Germany and Britain.

Now these different parts are to be united online and anyone, anywhere in the world with internet access will be able to view the complete text and read a translation.

For those who believe the Bible is the inerrant, unaltered word of God, there will be some very uncomfortable questions to answer. It shows there have been thousands of alterations to today's Bible.

The Codex, probably the oldest Bible we have, also has books which are missing from the Authorised Version that most Christians are familiar with today - and it does not have crucial verses relating to the Resurrection."

Codex Sinaiticus - see here
But it's up to us as individuals as to what we believe and we should also respect what others believe. No matter what, we are all basically the same and if we do believe in a God He surely won't favour some religions or races more than any others. How can He when we are all part of the same God?

Other Religious Posts:
Did The Old Testament Bible Copy From The Epic Of Gilgamesh?
The Creation Of Many Adam And Eves
God Created Earth 6016 Years Ago

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Saturday, March 22

The Coincidence And An Abundance Of Fiddle Faddle

Fiddle Faddle music

An an usual bit of fiddle faddle in the form of a coincidence or synchronicity.

Fiddle faddle 1. n. Trifling or
trivial matter(s). 2. a. petty, fussy
3. v.i. Fuss, trifle. 4. int.
Nonsense

Here's the story:


"I recall the case of my parents, when, one morning, my dad had woken early and was reading a non-fiction history book (Elizabethan period), when my mum stirred from sleep and said "Oh, fiddle-faddle" - an expression not commonly used nowadays, I would think, and never in our household.

M dad turned over and said to her, "What did you say?"

"Fiddle-faddle. Time to get up."

He showed her the words he had just read: Fiddle-faddle.

He then asked if she had peered over his shoulder to read them - which she could not have done, and in any case denied."

Fiddle faddle isn't something we hear to much nowadays, well not in England anyway, but there's more of it about than one would think.

Fiddle faddle

Fiddle faddle truck

Fiddle and Faddle and JF Kennedy

Fiddle faddle and popycock


As someone once (probably) said: 'There's plenty of everything to go round for everyone, if it was distributed and shared out fairly.' Hope you are getting your share of fiddle faddle.

Other Recent 67 Not Out Posts:
Beware! Death Has A Preference For Birthdays!
The Faceless Female Ghosts Who Have Travelled The World
The Ten Secrets To Living A Long Healthy Life

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Friday, March 21

Discovering Old Cornwall - 2

Charlestown, Cornwall on a sunshine day
This is where I compare very old photos of Cornwall with how it looks now. Today I'm in Charlestown on an overcast day. The picture above shows how it looks in the summer, normally with several old sailing ships in the harbour. It's an interesting place to visit.

Back in 1880 it looked as the photo below. This is, of course, taken from a different direction to the one above.

Charlestown, Cornwall circa 1880
I was able to find where the above photo was taken and took a similar view. Not too much has changed, though the small harbour was empty because of some maintenance work going on. You can still see the same row of houses in the background, now painted mostly white. They were built in the 1790s.

Click on photos to make them larger.

Charlestown, Cornwall 2014
I then tried to compare the picture below, taken circa 1900, but was a little disappointed with the result.

Charlestown circa 1900
With my photo below the harbour is empty, with nothing going on - because of that maintenance work I mentioned. Not a boat in sight. I couldn't get to the exact place to take the picture because of temporary restrictions - but it's not too different as you can see by the rocks and cliffs in the background.

Charlestown 2014
By the time Easter is with us in Cornwall, Charlestown will come alive again with colour, boats, sailing ships and tourists visiting the quaint shops, pubs, restaurants, craft outlets and museum - see photos in my posts Sunshine Brings Out The Magic Of Charlestown Cornwall and also The Magical Charlestown Old Cornish Sailing Ships.

See also:
Discovering Old Cornwall - 1
10 Mystery Posts About Cornwall

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Thursday, March 20

The Aston Martin Coincidence Or Synchronicity

Red Aston Martin

Simon, who lives five houses along from us, had a synchronistic moment. Nothing dramatic but enough for him to tell others.

He's interested in cars and was looking through the local paper at the cars for sale. He spotted an Aston Martin which interested him, so he circled the advert with a pen.

Aston Martin jacket badge
At this point I should mention that Simon owns an Aston Martin jacket, and seeing the car advertised he thought he'd better search it out soon from his wardrobe.

Okay, the scene is set.

The next day he needs petrol for his own car and drives to the local garage to fill up. He pulls up at the pumps and sees straight away that the car in front of him is an Aston Martin - exactly as described in the local paper.

"What a coincidence," he no doubt thought. But then the driver got out of the car and what was he wearing? You've guessed right, an Aston Martin jacket exactly like his! A double coincidence.

Simon being the friendly sort told the driver about the synchro of having seen the car advertised and the fact that he also had the very same jacket.

They chatted a while and the driver told him that he managed to get his jacket in London for a knock down price of £125. This pleased Simon because he bought his jacket locally in Cornwall from a well known discount retailer, Trago Mills, and his jacket only cost £25 - bargain!

What this all means, I've no idea. Perhaps a sign that Simon's next car should be an Aston Martin - at a knock down price of course!

Other Recent 67 Not Out Posts:
The 'Miracle' Kidney Donation Was An 'Unbelievable' Coincidence
The Faceless Female Ghosts Who Have Travelled The World
A Sighting Of The Bank Of England Black Nun Ghost

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Wednesday, March 19

The Grandmother Who Became Her Granddaughter's Guardian Angel

Holding hands young and old

A story today from Elaine about how her grandmother became her Guardian Angel:

"My parents separated when I was eight and over the next few years my mother wasn't around too much so my grandparents started looking after me. At first I wasn't happy about this but gradually I began to get close to my grandmother. I realised I was lucky in some respects as grandmother was kind, patient and would do almost anything for me.

The years passed and I met a young man I wanted to marry. I was just 19 but my grandmother was happy for me and helped me arrange the pending wedding and to choose my dress. I was to be married in mid April 1975 and on April 9th I had a phone call just before midnight while at my fiancé's home. Grandmother had been rushed to hospital. I was in a panic, scared and knew I had to get to see her.

My fiancé didn't have a car at that time and as it was so late I had no way to get to the hospital. The next day I visited her but she was unconscious. All I wanted to do was to tell her how much I loved her and what she meant to me.

I was persuaded by my grandfather and the hospital staff that I should go home in the evening as there was nothing I could do. I went to my grandparents house where I was still officially living and went to bed at about 11:30. I couldn't sleep at first and tried saying a prayer. Eventually I must have dropped off.

I woke up suddenly and it felt as if someone was in the room with me, but I wasn't frightened. I was sure there was someone sitting on my bed. I felt the bed sink as if someone had sat down. I glanced at my bedside clock and saw that it was 4:00 am. It's weird but I remember, as if it was yesterday, how calm and comfortable I felt and I fell into a deep sleep.

In the morning the first thing I did was to phone the hospital ward where grandmother was. The nurse who answered was evasive and the phone was passed to grandfather. He told me that grandmother had died. I asked him what time, but I 'knew' what he would say. He told me she died at four o'clock in the morning.

I am convinced grandmother came to visit me after she had died. She loved me as much as I loved her.

Since then I have sensed her with me, especially when I have been sad or troubled. I'm now 39 years old, my first marriage didn't work out but I know grandmother helped pull me through the difficult times and when I had a miscarriage. It's as if she is my Guardian Angel and is there when I need her.

I'm lucky now, I have two lovely children and a husband I love very much. I don't sense grandmother quite as much now that I'm settled but I'm sure she will be with me on my 40th birthday."

~ Elaine

Other Random 67 Not Out Poists:
The Guardian Angels From Somewhere
A Sighting Of The Bank Of England Black Nun Ghost
10 Ghost Story Posts

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Tuesday, March 18

The 'Miracle' Kidney Donation Was An 'Unbelievable' Coincidence

Kidney donor
Image source
Lesley Taylor, 55, from Redditch, England had been on a kidney waiting list for over two years. Her kidney function had deteriorated and was working at only six per cent capacity. Then, almost out of the blue, on the 18th of February she received a call from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham informing her that a perfect match kidney had been found.

Following a successful operation, and while Ms Taylor was recovering in hospital, a nurse told her that the other kidney from the donor had also gone to a Redditch resident and he too was recovering in the same hospital.

Ms Taylor told the Redditch Advertiser: "This gentleman was in a bed fairly near me in the hospital so I went to see him to tell him that I too was from Redditch and that I had received the partner to his kidney. When I saw him I was stunned to see he was one of my old customers, John Whyley, from my milk round. It was unbelievable."

Lesley had run a milk round with her partner until her failing health had forced her to give this up.

She continued by saying: "It was a total shock. Through the sad loss of someone's life, two people from the same town, and who knew each other, have had their chance of life given back to them.

"I wasn't thrilled when I received the call to tell me they had found a kidney, I was so sad because of the circumstances. Someone had died in order for this to happen and that stopped me from being overjoyed when I got the call, although I will be eternally grateful to the donor, and their family for what they have done for John and I."

Mr Whyley told of his experience: "After getting to the hospital, the consultant told me there would be a bit of a wait as a lady was having her new kidney first. I told him that was fine by me. I didn't realise that was actually Lesley having her op.

"I don't think you could ever calculate the odds of this happening. Two people who not only live in the same small town, but also know each other, end up on the same day, in the same hospital, receiving a life-saving kidney from the same donor. It's like a miracle to me."

How to donate a kidney or other organs in the UK

The NHS Organ Donor Register is a confidential national database that holds the details of more than 19 million people who want to donate their organs when they die.

By adding your name to the NHS Organ Donor Register, everyone will be aware of your wishes, making it easier for them to agree to your donation. You can join the register in a number of ways, including:
  • completing an online form
  • by calling the NHS Donor Line on 0300 123 23 23

organ donor cartoon

Other 67 Not Out Posts:
Woman Donates A Kidney To A Stranger
Coincidence Of Woman Who Saves Both Her Husband And Father By Donating One Kidney
Worse Things Happen At Sea

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Monday, March 17

Beware! Death Has A Preference For Birthdays!


I was doing some research on Sir Kenelm Digby, who lived in England in the 1600s. I don't suppose many will have heard of him. Here's Wikipedia's description is:

"Sir Kenelm Digby, (born June 11, 1603, Gayhurst, Buckinghamshire, England - died June 11, 1665, London), English courtier, philosopher, diplomat, and scientist of the reign of Charles I."

What I noticed was that he was born and died on the same day i.e. 11th of June. His tombstone even stresses this fact:

Under this tomb the matchless Digby lies,
Digby the great, the valiant, and the wise:
This age's wonder for his noble parts,
Skilled in nix tongues, and learned in all the arts:
Born on the day he died, the eleventh of June
On which he bravely fought at Scanderoon;
'Tis rare that one and the same day should be
His day of birth, of death and victory.

I remembered that William Shakespeare was also born and died on the same day, the 23rd of April (though some historians have differing opinions). "So," I wondered, "Is there any meaning to these same day births and deaths?" And this started me going off on a side-track from Kenelm Digby.

The first thing I found was some research done in Switzerland. They headed this: Death has a preference for birthdays - an analysis of death time series. They discovered that you are 14% more likely to die on your birthday than on any other day of the year! How weird is that! Source.

The study says, "We analyzed data from the Swiss mortality statistics 1969–2008. Deaths below the age of 1 were excluded from the analysis. Time series of frequencies of deaths were based on differences between the day of death and the day of birth."

One of their conclusions was "In general, birthdays do not evoke a postponement mechanism but appear to end up in a lethal way more frequently than expected."

At first you might think that those close to dying might 'hang on' for their birthday for some reason or other - but the researchers found this not to be the case. As they put it: "Something on your birthday kills you." Now that could put a damper on birthday parties!

I must admit I haven't found anything of any great meaning to dying on your birthday but here's a list of some of those who have the same birthday and death dates:

Ingrid Bergman
Ingrid Bergman: 29th of August
George Washington Carver: 5th of January
Walter Diemer: 8th of January
Allen Drury: 2nd of September
Sir Kenelm Digby: 11th of July
Betty Friedan: 4th of February
Alfred Kazin: 5th of June
George 'Machine Gun' Kelly: 17th of July
Johnny Longden: 14th of February
Levi P Morton: 16th of May
Lawrence Oates: 17th of March
Jean Piccard: 28th of January
Swede Risberg: 13th of October
Kamehameha V: 11th of December

If death does have a preference for birthdays, as the Swiss research shows, it might just pose the question: Can we influence the day of our death? Here's an illustration how we just might.

The economists Joshua Gans and Andrew Leigh published a paper in 2006 which examined the effect on death rates following a change in Australian tax law.

 In 1978 the Australian government decided to abolish estate taxes - or inheritance tax. The estates of anyone who died on or after 1 July 1979 would escape tax. The estates of anyone who died before that date would not. The data suggests a significant number of deaths were 'postponed' long enough to avoid paying tax.

"If the very ill are able to move their date of death forwards as well as backwards," says Joshua Gans, "any country that introduces an inheritance tax should expect a spike in the death rate in the week before such a law takes effect."

But, whatever, go careful on your birthday!

Other Recent 67 Not Out Posts:
The Faceless Female Ghosts Who Have Travelled The World
The Ten Secrets To Living A Long Healthy Life
Where We Were Before Birth: Our Before Birth Experience

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Saturday, March 15

Thursday, March 13

Give And See What Men Give In Return To Your Bosom

Cornish daffodils

I've always believed that we get back what we give out, whether that be friendship, love, smiles, money or anything else - including the negative things as well such as hate, fear and so on. Give out good things and we get back good things; give out nastiness and hate and that's also what we get back. Simple!

I had a small example of this yesterday.

We were in our local town yesterday afternoon as we needed a couple of bits and pieces. Further along from the main centre I saw someone collecting for Marie Curie Cancer Care - it's always distinctive as their symbol is a bright yellow daffodil.

It's a charity that I like to support, but I wasn't sure if I could be bothered to walk in the opposite direction from where I wanted to go. Then I remembered the photo above (I took a similar one last year) I had taken of all of the daffodils I'd seen that morning, which had been planted by the charity. My gut feeling was that I therefore had to give some money.

So I turned round and gave all of the loose change I had in my pocket to the collector. I didn't have any paper money with me.

I went back along the road to catch up with Karin. We walked together for about 100 yards when Karin suddenly bent down and picked up a £5 banknote. There was no one nearby so my charity donation was returned to me.

I don't belong to any organised religion but I do believe what Jesus is quoted as saying about giving: "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and running over, shall men give to your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."

So looks like, in this instance, men gave to Karin's bosom - erm, perhaps that doesn't sound quite right, but the money I gave was returned to us whether via her bosom or not.

P.S. The morning, after taking the daffodil photo I returned home at 11:11 and managed to take a photo of the time on our cooker clock. That probably doesn't have any relevance to giving!

Other Similar Themed Posts:
Finding Money By Walking Into The Magic
The Art Of Finding Coins Or Anything Else
Miles Of Smiles And Butterflies

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Wednesday, March 12

The Faceless Female Ghosts Who Have Travelled The World

Mujina faceless ghost

I read the following, from someone in the Philippines with the snappy name of gHosTmAgneT_03. It was the first time I had heard of a ghost of a faceless woman.

"Ever since we moved to another house I started to see this woman. The first time I saw her was when we were moving our things inside the house. I was with my sister that time. I was helping her with her things when I saw this woman who was wearing a white dress. She looked about the age of 20 but not more than 30.

I was not able to look at her face but I started to feel very strange. My sweat was so cold and I had goose bumps. Then my sister asked me what was wrong and I asked her if she could see the woman. She told me that there was no woman, and I started to get scared. I tried to look closer, the woman was still there, and wasn't moving an inch. Then I looked at my sister and when I looked at where the woman was she was there no more."

The one with the snappy name saw the ghost two more times.

"I saw the woman standing in front of me. I could not see her face because her hair was covering it. I couldn't move or open my mouth. I felt weak like I was going to cry. She was trying to get closer so I switched the lights on. Then she disappeared, I felt relieved and when I went back to bed I fell asleep easily."

and ...

"I saw the woman at our dining room near the refrigerator, and what shocked me the most was when I saw her floating above the ground. It seemed she did not have a face. I was totally freaked out that I kind of passed out." Source

Faceless ghosts? "Whatever next," I thought. So I had a look at a book I have The Element Encyclopedia of Ghosts & Hauntings. And yes there is a listing. They write about a Faceless Woman:

"A beautiful female ghost who is said to terrify all who see her because she has no face. Typically she is young and slender and is first seen from behind.

"She appears in haunting legends all over the world, Her origins are unknown but may be Japanese. In his book Kwaidan published in 1904, Lafcadio Hearn, one of the first Westerners to study the folklore of Japan in depth documented ancient stories of the Mujina, faceless ghosts."

As there have been links between Japan and the Philippines - between 1942 and 1945 the Empire of Japan occupied the Commonwealth of the Philippines during World War II - I could see how the faceless ghost story could have travelled. But then I found that there are other places that tell of these same ghosts: In Hawaii for example.

Going back to my encyclopedia I read about a faceless ghost in Hawaii. In 1959 the faceless woman was said to have appeared at the Waialae Drive-In and a few years later in Oahu. There are recent tales of her being spotted in a Waikiki hotel, shopping mall and college.

Waialae Drive_in Ghost

I found a more recent Hawaiian sighting on the Haunted Islands website:

"One encounter happened in 1965 when a young woman opened the door to one of the stalls to see a woman standing before her with no face hovering above the toilet. Her boyfriend then saw her running out of the bathroom screaming, followed by a faceless woman with no legs.

A group of friends gathering in the theater in 1965 encountered a large fireball that rose from the ground and circled the parking area several times before flying straight into the screen. There has been no explanation of where the ghostly woman and the fireballs come from, but it is noted that the theater is located next to a graveyard, which is famous for being saturated with the souls of the dead, even more so for Hawaii.

Since its final closing in 1986, the area has become a favorite spot for ghost hunters, cautiously peeking into the women’s rest room for a chance to see the famous ghost."

They go on to say:

"The ghost is seen all over the island of Oahu as well. From Waikiki, to ‘Ewa beach, even in the boiler room of a Honolulu hospital, it seems the faceless woman is making her presence known all over the islands. No one knows who she is or what she wants, but for those who visit the island of Oahu, it’s best not to go anywhere alone at night, lest she find you."

Going back to Lafcadio Hearn, the writer mentioned in my encyclopedia, I managed to find the original transcript of the Japanese story or legend about the Mujina, or faceless ghost. Here it is:

The last man who saw the Mujina was an old merchant of the Kyobashi quarter, who died about thirty years ago. This is the story, as he told it:

Traditional Japanese Woman
One night, at a late hour, he was hurrying up the Kii-no-kuni-zaka, when he perceived a woman crouching by the moat, all alone, and weeping bitterly. Fearing that she intended to drown herself, he stopped to offer her any assistance or consolation in his power.

She appeared to be a slight and graceful person, handsomely dressed; and her hair was arranged like that of a young girl of good family.

"O-jochu," he exclaimed, approaching her, "O-jochu, do not cry like that! Tell me what the trouble is; and if there be any way to help you, I shall be glad to help you." (He really meant what he said; for he was a very kind man.)

But she continued to weep,hiding her face from him with one of her long sleeves. "O-jochu," he said again, as gently as he could, "Please, please listen to me! This is no place for a young lady at night! Do not cry, I implore you! Tell me how I may be of some help to you!"

Slowly she rose up, but turned her back to him, and continued to moan and sob behind her sleeve.

He laid his hand lightly upon her shoulder, and pleaded: "O-jochu! O-jochu! O-jochu! Listen to me, just for one little moment! O-jochu! O-jochu!"

Then O-jochu turned around, and dropped her sleeve, and stroked her face with her hand; and the man saw that she had no eyes or nose or mouth, and he screamed and ran away.

Up Kii-no-kuni-zaka he ran and ran; and all was black and empty before him. On and on he ran, never daring to look back; and at last he saw a lantern, so far away that it looked like the gleam of a firefly; and he made for it.

It proved to be only the lantern of an itinerant soba-seller, who had set down his stand by the road-side; but any light and any human companionship was good after that experience; and he flung himself down at the feet of the soba-seller, crying out, "Ah! Aa!! Aa!!!"

"Kore! kore!" roughly exclaimed the soba-man. "Here! what is the matter with you? Anybody hurt you?"

"No, nobody hurt me," panted the other, "Only Ah! Aa!"

"Only scared you?" queried the peddler, unsympathetically. "Robbers?"

"Not robbers, not robbers," gasped the terrified man. "I saw ... I saw a woman, by the moat, and she showed me ... Ah! I cannot tell you what she showed me!"

"Well! Was it anything like this that she showed you?" cried the soba-man, stroking his own face, which therewith became like unto an Egg.  And, simultaneously, the light went out.

[Notes: O-jochu means honorable damsel; Soba is a preparation of buckwheat, somewhat resembling vermicelli; Kore is an exclamation of annoyed alarm.]

Faceless ghosts - did they originate from the Japanese legend? Or, as someone suggested to me, are they your average ghosts who have forgotten how their faces once looked, perhaps because they've been around for so long?

Resources: The Element Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Hauntings

Other Paranormal Stories:
A Sighting Of The Bank Of England Black Nun Ghost
The Black Stick Men Who Stalk Our World At Night
80 Percent Of Elderly People Have Ghostly Visions Of Their Deceased Partner

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