Drums.....

I have a ton of things to do today, actually a heck of a week ahead....including two raptor classes, a meeting at WNIN for our convention , and a trip to TN. There is a pile of pow wow stuff to be cleaned and put away, and client calls to answer....so since I still have drumming on the brain, here is a reprint of an earlier blog. Hope that you all can enjoy it, or learn something from it.
I will be back to "work" tomorrow!! Have a wonderful week!!!

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The question that came was if I knew anything about a gourd dance/song/drumming. I said, "No, but I will find out". The answer is, it is a Kiowa dance that began in the 1940's, so as dances go, it is new. The drumming for the dance is high energy with double beats and a lively dance accompanies it. The only people who are to do this drumming/dance are the Kiowa or a tribe they have gifted the dance to. The dance is supposed to only be performed before Grand Entry when it is in a pow wow setting and is for the dancers. It is sometimes used to honor a tribal member.

Here is an example of a Kiowa Gourd Dance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKbPFuq8Fxg

Traditional or original songs are to be gifted to drums, tribal groups, etc. In other words, it isn't OK for someone to take a ceremonial song and perform it without the permission of the person they learned it from. Some other songs, not ceremonial are the same way. Social songs are usually different, but if they are original, you still need permission. Think of it this way, you cannot perform a Beatles song because the copyrights will be infringed upon. Songs are for sharing, but in a certain way. The only way you should be singing a song that is NA, is when someone allows you , by teaching it to you and gifting it to you. When you want to learn a song, ask in the proper way. The answer may be "no", and that is OK! Now, traditional inter-tribal songs...songs everyone and anyone in an area knows, you can sing...sort of like not needing permission to sing "Row row row your boat."

I really like the gourd dance, but it isn't one I will ever see in person , unless I do some traveling.Certainly one I will never drum or sing. (NOTE: I did get to finally see one at the Gathering of Nations Pow Wow in 2012. It was to honor the Navajo Code Talkers)

The other major question was, what was the difference between a northern drum and a southern drum. I found that there is a lot of confusion about that , even in the NA community. Some thought if you were from the south, you were a southern drum. That would make sense, but it isn't that simple. Many NA groups moved from one place to another, they brought their ways with them, and sometimes melted into the groups they came in contact with. The northern/southern drum is an example of that. It doesn't matter where your original tribe lived, or where you live now. It is a style. You can live in Alabama and be a northern drum.

So, style not location. What does the style mean? This wasn't easy. I found that many groups are a mixture or don't even know there are "styles", the "big dogs" in the drum world know though, people like the Black Lodge Singers , and Bear Claw who do national pow wows.

Northern style is sung in a higher voice or pitch. It is loud and proud. The beats are a bit faster and livelier. The songs are louder and sung to get the dancers moving. There are women allowed to sit at the drum, but tribal differences apply here. Some tribes will not allow women at the drum ever, or if they are on their moon. Northern drums will be outside the sacred circle, but next to it, with the host drum (there can be several drums at a pow wow) in the best position.

Here is an example from Black Lodge Singers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bArhAQ9oOr4

Southern style is sung lower and slower. They use honor beats frequently, although northern drums sometimes use honor beats, especially when doing southern songs. No women can sit at the drum, however they may sit behind the drum and sing harmonies, but never on the first two push ups (or rounds). Southern style drums have four posts, each representing and facing the cardinal directions.

 Here is a southern drum example, the voices are much lower, and lots of honor beats in the song. A great example of a southern drum by Bear Claw Singers. You can hear the women in the background, but will not see them seated at the drum. They stand to honor the song, while the men are seated at the drum.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8nj2LoxrD0&NR=1

First I want to say THANK YOU to the folks who sent in these great questions! It made me think, research, and find some knowledgeable resources that will always be good to have.

Remember, you cannot just take a song and sing it in most cases.

                              Some other drum stuff from questions sent in......

No, a woman should not touch a drum, or any other sacred object like a pipe, when she is on her moon .More on that point. No woman on her moon should be in the same room as the drum, under the arbor with the drum, in the dance arena, nor any other area where there are sacred objects!

Drums traditionally have seven to eight people surrounding the drum. A little fact I found while researching this, is that the average drum is 26" wide.

In Oklahoma the drum is in the center of the dance ring.

Traditionally each song has 4 rounds or push ups, they can increase if there is a request by a dancer (who may fan, whistle or wave a staff over the drum), to continue so they can dance more. Quotes from dancers, from those who enter contests, to those who dance for fun and to honor their traditions all say the louder, more energetic, more enthusiastic the drumming, the more they want to dance and dance well. It gets the energy flowing. One dancer said"..all slow drumming does is make me want to take a long nap until the pow wow is over. I will dance as it is respectful, but you most likely will not see my best dancing."

Drums should not sing in only one language for pow wows. A pow wow is a gathering, and all groups should be honored. Ceremonial drumming will take on one language reflecting the ceremony's origin.

There is more, of course, and some of it was already written about in the blog, but I found out some interesting things.

That was a fun journey, and I am sure that it is only beginning. Keep the questions coming on any topic!

Peshaui Wequashimese.

Have a great weekend!

(C)2011 Dr. R M Wolf. May not be used, copied or reproduced without prior written permission

Death and the Death card, know what you are doing.

I had a frantic caller yesterday. A client who sometimes "reads her own cards" (always a bad idea), saw the death card and was very upset. She wanted to know who was going to die. Well, all of us, and no one right now. One of the worst things you can do for yourself is read your own cards, the second worst is read your own cards when you really do not know what you are doing.

The Universe has one secret it always keeps. Death. Death and passing through the veil, is much too important and significant to be told to us.Some see disasters , yes, but usually not an individual's death. If you knew a death date of a loved one, what would you do? The answer is not as simple as it seems, and you would most likely be too upset to trek to the top of Mount Everest.

Death messages do come in subtle ways like "You need to speak to your brother". Of course messages like that do not always mean he is going to die, but that is a way death messages may come across.

So then what IS the death card all about???? I think a better name for it would be "Death/rebirth". The death card is an ending yes, but its' inherent message is, "and a new beginning". People forget to tack on the important part at the end. Many times when I am reading on the phone , people will ask me what cards I laid down. I won't tell them. First of all, if you want to interpret the cards yourself, do a reading. Second of all, I read the cards psychically, so I get more information that non psychics. people will say "Well how did you get that from those cards?" My psychic abilities My Pretty!!

I also have, and so does every reader who has read a lot, cards that mean something to me. They don't mean it to you, just to me. This doesn't make me special, it happens to everyone who forms a bond with the cards. I also go through them so quickly (I don't have to stop and think to look the cards up in a book), that I go through the messages coming in quickly, and I don't remember all the cards that go down (usually 10-15 for a complicated question).

So , going back to "Death". There are many meanings to each card. Death is no exception. It is first a major arcana card, which means that it is something Karmic, something that you cannot change, it is a major life event/person. Here is where you need to know what you are doing. You have to interpret the card in response to a question. General readings are harder for interpretation as you have nothing to go on, and have to really scrutinize cards around it and trust your intuition or psychic ability. Does the card mean a person or situation? What person? What meaning of the card? When that happens I feel I am doing a psychic reading, not a tarot reading, and it actually slows down things for me. My psychic brain and my brain that reads the cards, are two different brain waves, doing both at once is a juggling act that I have down pretty good, but when I then have to "think" on top of it all, it makes it harder for no reason. It makes me waste precious client time, and not get as clear a picture as I can.

I keep digressing from "Death". It is a major arcana card and it can represent a person, or a situation, all tarot cards do. Death is more "situation representative" than representing a person. In the rare case it is a person, it represents a Scorpio sign, and a person who deals in death. An undertaker, a grave digger, a crime scene analyst can all be represented by "Death". Death's main message is that something has run its' course, and change needs to occur. It can be a message to end something that needs to end, or that something is about to end. All of the decideing which come from experience and /or other talents. Other messages from the card are Rebirth of something that you let go of; a corrupt situation; a need to let go of old ideas and ways of doing things; transformation; endings; embrace the new; let go of the old; life transitions like marriage to divorce or the opposite; radical change; adaption ; embrace new opportunities; trust in what lies ahead.

The meaning of the death card in all of those meanings was never "you are going to die". Be careful how you read because you can ask how someone's relative with a serious illness is doing , see the Death card, and impart the bad news, just to learn that the death was the ending of the disease!

Reading tarot is not as simple as picking up a book and reading card meanings. Read first, then apprentice with an expert. Make sure you note any personal meanings of cards so that you pick up on a meaning no one else would have. Never try to read cards that another person puts down. Their methods, layouts and personal associations with the cards may make their reading totally different from your interpretations. There is not a set meaning, one for each card that always comes through. If I had to pick one meaning for "Death" it would be "drastic change involving an ending".

The metaphysical world is not for dabblers or people who learned all they know from a TV show. Learn from the experts, and NEVER read your own cards!



Peshaui Wequashimese


(C)2012 Dr R M Wolf. May not be used, copied or reproduced without prior written permission

Passive Aggressive relationships...leave them.

Many times there are people who call about their relationships who do not understand why they don't go well. They think that they are managing them well, the problem is that they feel like they have to manage them at all.

The key to a good relationship does not lie in making a person do something that you want them to do and they do not. Trickery, blackmail, ultimatums and abuse will never get you what you want in the long run. These tactics may work for a short period of time, but never for the long term result.

Then there are those who do this in a more subtle way, the passive aggressive personalities. Passive aggressive disorder is serious and is listed in the DSM II. It is serious. People can act passive aggressive in certain situations, or be that way all the time. Neither is good, but "all the time" makes them impossible to deal with. It is a disorder where people act aggressively or in a hostile manner and try to disguise it as passivity. This is seen quite frequently in interpersonal relationships and in the workplace.

A good example is a person who acts like they are joking when they say hurtful, hateful things. When you say something to them about their hurtful comments they smile and say something along the lines of  "Oh my you took me seriously!? I was just kidding, don't be so sensitive!". Meanwhile their way of striking back at you, is to make nasty comments which they really do feel. They WANT to jab at you, but don't have the courage to admit it, or do it outwardly.

They speak cryptically, make promises they never keep, and never intended to. They just don't want to face you and say "no". They "forget" things that they don't want to do. They fear competition, so are jealous, and will sabotage meetings with friends or anyone they see as competition. For example, if you are supposed to go out that night with a friend, they will suddenly not feel well and need your help, when in fact there is nothing wrong with them. The discussion on where you are going and how they feel about it, won't be had because that is the "passive" part of things, it is too difficult for them. Yet, they need to stop you , and will (aggressive behavior), so they "get sick" or hurt. They don't like your behavior so they tell your spouse, parent, or boss instead of talking to you directly. They play the victim, they procrastinate and they pout. They attack about ex's new partners in a joking manner saying she is "fat" or "ugly", then laugh about it as if it were all a joke, when it is not. They are people that you will constantly struggle with, and they are people that go through relationships like clean underwear!

When you are in any situation with a passive aggressive person, get out. They can get help , there is therapy, but there is no "cure". They rarely want to go to therapy and change, and that needs to be the first step towards getting a better handle on things. Therapists can try to help them learn new behavior, but what frequently happens is they use the therapist and the tools they are given for change, as weapons. They have a hard time working in teams and frequently lose their job.

When you are acting this way, and you all know who you are, stay out of relationships until you can get a handle on things. The energy around passive aggressive people is scattered , and confused. It never amounts to good, just chaos. You can't fix them , they control you. They will never talk to you about a problem, just change things so they are comfortable and everyone else be dammed. When I see this behavior, I move on.

I know a few passive aggressive people who think they are just strong people, they are strong all right, but in an inappropriate manner. Real strength is NEVER used inappropriately.

DO the right things for the right reasons.
DO unto others.....


Peshaui Wequashimese



(C)2012 Dr R M Wolf, may not be used, copied or reproduced without prior written permission

Relationships are NOT about drama

All weekend I had clients in a state of upset over relationships. Relationships are not supposed to be hard. They always are not easy, when you do have an easy one, you count your blessings, but they sure are not supposed to be filled with fighting, abuse, and emotional blackmail. They are not supposed to be filled with ultimatums that you can't keep or an intensity that keeps you from living life (as in talking on the phone all day inwork until you lose your job).

Relationships are supposed to ADD to your life, NOT complete it. They are supposed to enhance your life and enable you to grow, and share new experiences, places, and opportunities.

So many fall for the "soulmate" line where they think the Universe has one special person we are supposed to be with. How they can rationalize that it is OK if that person is married to someone else is beyond me. Rarely is there a karma situation where you need to resolve something with a mate. RARELY. When that does happen it is a relationship that is hard, short lived (you either resolve the issue or you don't and move on), and difficult. When people are involved in what they think are soulmate relationships, they are rarely with a person who honestly feels love for them. It usually isn't love they feel anyway. It can be desperation, desire, lust, but rarely is it love. When you love someone you are able to let them go.

Lately people seem to think it is OK to tell spouses to do things that are totally inappropriate, disrespectful, and completely loveless. You should never tell your spouse that they cannot speak to their child, have dealings with the ex (sometimes it has to be, especially if there is children or shared property still involved) , see friends, go places. When you say, do what I say or get out, don't come crying when they DO get out. You cannot threaten people time after time and expect them to eventually say...OK! See you! How can someone who loves their fiance tell her if she doesn't get over her wedding nerves and have sex with them they will have to go and find release somewhere else. REALLY? I can see why she is afraid to marry this person.

Relationships are a two way street. When two people love each other the same and do as much for each other as possible, in a respectful and loving way, you have a great relationship. When you need to talk to someone six times a day , then all they are doing is helping to calm your insecurity. That isn't love, that is fear.

I don't know how many people cay "I can't trust them". When you cannnot trust your partner, you cannot be with them.

Great relationships are not based on the stars, or a movie style romance. They aren't based on sexual encounters. They aren't based on chemistry, that is just hormones and hormones won't help you when you are 60, 70, or when the bills aren't getting paid, or the child is sick.

Love is about mutual respect, trust, and desire. MUTUAL being a very important word there.

Make sure you are in a relationship. That means two people who are equally adoring each other and making sure that they do as much as they can for the other person, before themselves. There is no emotional blackmail in true love relationships. There is no fear. Fear comes when people are not ready to be in relationships. Being able to be independent, is what makes you strong and unfearful, and keeps you from sabotaging your relationship.

As always....treat others as you would want to be treated!


Peshaui Wequashimese




(C)2012  Dr R M Wolf, may not be used, copied , or reproduced without prior written permission.

More email answers!

Some days the email comes in bunches...then there isn't any for a while, then more bunches.
Here is some of last night's email.....

Do you use your abilities in everyday life, like for example to pick a candidate?

I really don't like politics. I see so many people get excited and angry over pure BS it isn't even funny. That said, Yes, I do. The Universe gave us all intuition, to use. We need to always use what we have when it is to access messages from the Universe. So , yes I do. I know who has the nice, clear aura and who doesn't.

Do you meet more people recently who claim to be psychic/medium? There seem to be a very many of them lately.

Yes, they seem to be coming out of the woodwork. The popularity or TV shows is the culprit. Everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon. Many are just looking for attention and some are mentally ill. It was hard in the old days to be believed because there was no proof of any of the paranormal, now there are so many crazy attention seekers out there, the same thing has happened. The pendulum finally swung, but now it is worse than ever!

I read a blog that mentions OBE and NDE many times, the author doesn't answer my email...do you know what this means?

OBE is out of body experience and NDE is near death experience. They are similar in that you will be able to see your body, but your consciousness is not in it any longer. OBEs can be brought on by some people, they can control it and "travel" frequently. NDEs usually happen in medical emergencies, like on the operating table.

Does Karma really happen?

Sure it does. It may not happen in an instant, although sometimes it does. It also may not always be a similar response. Say for example, you have a person who comes and does property damage to your things. Their Karma may not be property damage, but an illness. Karma works itself in in the best way to effect that particular person. Not everything negative that happens is Karma, and when you think your ex is having a great life because they found a new love, their life may not be great because they are having trouble at work. Karma is not a direct and immediate response.

Will burning sage chase negativity out of my house?

Yes and no, it isn't that simple. When you just are doing some "spring cleaning" it will work, but entities who want to stay will hide, and need more of a push. Sage just makes the place "uncomfortable", some entities resist uncomfortable very well. When you need a place cleansed, get someone who knows what they are doing. You can cause more harm than good. Just waving a sage stick around will not clear the house of evil spirits.

My friend took some classes and says she is a Shaman, I told her "no way" . Who is right.

I don't know who she studied with, but I would say you, and here is why.....

First of all, you don't take classes to become a shaman, you may learn some of the things they do, but that is like saying you take a class on Native American beading and become an Indian.
Shaman only exist in Alaska and Hawaii, South America, etc. Not in the lower 48 states. There were medicine men, healers, singers, but no shaman.

Shamanism calls you. You can't take a class in it and be it. It is a calling that chooses YOU, you don't choose it. I am sure you can take a class in anything these days and get a piece of paper saying you are a (fill in the blank). But you can't take a class in something that has to be in your soul or self to begin with. You can't take a class in Eidetic (photographic) memory . You have to be born with it. You can improve your memory, but you can't alter your DNA. You can take a class in memory improvement, but you cannot then walk around claiming an eidetic memory.  Same with being a shaman. Shaman are born, they don't stroll out of a classroom. If your friend were to go to a reservation and say "Hi , I am a shaman I took a class at the Shaman Institute in Chicago" The laughter would be heard all across the country.

Shaman need to be born with the ability to communicate with spirits. They are the conduit between this world and the other world or worlds depending on their background and tribal affiliation. That is the whole point. They go beyond this world for solutions to issues, sickness, and to find answers. In white man terms, they need to be psychics or mediums, or easily able to have OBEs. They also need to have healing abilities.

All that said, no true NA teacher will charge you any amount of money to learn NA spirituality. So , if she apprenticed with a real medicine man (which I doubt), and had natural abilities beforehand, she can be a medicine woman.

KEEP THE QUESTIONS COMING!!



Peshaui Wequashimese



(C)2012 Dr R M Wolf. May not be used, copied or reproduced without prior written permission

Kids and some haunted places, really don't mix.

Last night I had an email in my box about "can kids go to Villlisca?". Really? Why would anyone want to bring children to a place where six kids were brutally murdered with the blunt edge of an axe in their beds? This is a place with strong spirits, spirits that harm and frighten off adults. The place has that "vibe" too, a vibe that may keep the kids from sleeping in their own beds at night for a few months. There are parts of that house that feel "bad" and I know a few adults who shied away from places in that house. That said, Villisca allows minors if you ALWAYS have them with you, and you of course pay for them. Every human that enters that house has to pay $70.

A responsible 17 year old may be able to handle it, but remember for all a kid's bravado, they are still kids and when they crawl into bed at night, then they may not be so happy about a decision to go to a place like Villisca. There are a few places that allow minors, not many. There are good reasons for that.

Villisca is a place with at least one nasty spirit. It is NOT a place for kids. Period. There were places there that made me feel uncomfortable, but didn't stop me from going there. I have the tools , belief system, and protection that makes it OK. Kids don't have all of that.

 There was no provoking or game playing while we were there. I would think parading a kid through Villlisca would be akin to walking him through a child molester's house while firmly holding his hand....not smart, and no good reason to do it!  When I say there is a nasty spirit there, it is an understatement, and he is STRONG.

There is another aspect to this. We had older teenagers come to the house while we were there and prank. We had to call the sheriff on them. This happens frequently there. There were also a couple of strangers who knocked on the door and just wanted to come in for a few minutes. People you probably don't want your kids around. People who don't want to pay for the experience.

To go over why we don't allow kids on "ghost walks" (and some of this would apply to places like Villisca and some not), here is a part of a previous blog:

 Why don't you allow people 18 and under to go on ghost walks?

A few reasons. First of all, when out wandering around, you may go onto someone's personal property. If they call the police on you, you can be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor (even if you are the parent). It isn't worth it. If you are where you don't have permission to be, that is just part of the charges that can be brought against you.

There is another reason. Sometimes you run into bad stuff. Now that goes two ways.There are times when myself and other people who are out doing these investigations, run into "bad stuff". There are two kinds of "bad stuff". One is everyday stuff, like people who are drunk, high; people who are making/selling drugs; animal issues; crazy people issues, and people hiding/squatting . They aren't always friendly. Some investigators have been shot at by drug manufacturers. Some have almost been run over by dealers trying to get out once they were spotted. There is no reason to involve anyone in this, especially children and young adults.

It is also dangerous out there in a purely physical sense. Cemeteries have fallen stones that you can trip over. There are snakes, spiders, ticks. Recently a stone fell on a boy and killed him. Old buildings have floors you can fall through, and things to trip over or get hurt on.


That being said , there is "bad stuff" out there in the spirit realm. That is more rare than the issues listed above, but it is out there. I have bumped into these things twice. I was able to protect the people with me, and back off successfully each time. What if a person with no knowledge or skills bumped into one of these beings? It could get VERY ugly, very fast. Bad enough if you make your decision to go , but what if you took your child and something "bad" happened? It isn't worth it. I have seen people grabbed, scratched, hit and knocked down. Your child may be all gung-ho and "Zakified" to go ghost hunting, but when they get scratched and punched by something they can't see, it may do damage beyond the physical.

Another reason is, it is all fun and games watching ghost hunting on TV, but when you find yourself alone or even with another person in the woods at night, things feel a lot scarier than they do when you are sitting on your couch. Some kids are great at it, but it really isn't worth the chance. One Zak fan who was 15 went with his Dad ghost hunting....he didn't sleep in his room for 4 months...and nothing "bad" happened. He would probably still be sleeping in his Dad's room if there was a scary event!

The two times I bumped into these nasty things were in places that I had been to several times before, without a problem, so don't think that going to a place you have been to that was "safe", is still safe.

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Villisca isn't a "fun and games" place. It is a serious place. It isn't a place for adults to act stupid. You don't have to provoke there, the man spirit comes out to say "what are you doing here" all on his own!

Many times kids want to do things to be like us, it is natural, but as parents we have the responsibility of making the decision about where they should and should not be. There are places much more "calm" than Villisca for kids to ghost hunt.

Happy ghost hunting....and leave the kids home!


Peshaui Wequashimese

(C) Dr R M Wolf. May not be used, copied or reproduced without prior written permission.

Villisca & the cost of Ghost Investigations

Well we said we would return, and I am in the process of booking the second of two trips to Villisca for 2013. Unlike most group trips, these are booked before I make the reservation. I know that none of the people who are going will back out.

Villisca is a very haunted place. It will separate the men from the boys, so to speak. There is a very strong and mean entity there. It spun a camera around , scratched a person and pulled a blanket off of another. It isn't a place to play games , or taunt. It is a place to be on guard. The spirits there are strong enough to harm you, and that is a rare thing indeed. When spirits can move things and harm people, it is a  place that is a true paranormal investigator's delight. I wouldn't recommend it for first timers, especially if there is not an experienced person in the group.

The day we left the house after our first investigation this spring, we said we were going back. We had not even known yet that we had so many EVPs, and a photo or two that is still unexplainable. We saw things move, heard furniture move, thumps, and at one point the house and barn both shook at the same time. There were no earthquakes reported that night.

The spirits are inside, outside and in the barn (the so called "safe place"), and there are more spirits there than the family that was killed on June 10, 1912. I have a woman with a very southern accent on several EVPs, and the mother who was killed there was originally from Illinois, so it isn't her, although I know she is also there.

Usually when you try to get a group together for an investigation, you get a bunch of folks that say they want to go, they beg, promise, and put their name on the list. Then, nothing. Something always "comes up". With my friends I have instituted a "until you pay you aren't going" and "if you don't go you don't get your money back" policy. Too many times I have had people back out , where it cost each of the rest of us more to go, or we came close to cancelling and losing a deposit. When I spoke to the Villisca owner, Martha this weekend, she said that she has had people back out all the time and was left with just the small deposit she had requested, but no full payment for the night. Not only is that a shame as she gets financially harmed, but if there were a night on the calendar this year we would have gone again. She would have made the money and we would have had the pleasure of returning before next year.

I managed to book a night close to the anniversary of the murders for our first visit next year (we are actually going twice...so far anyway). I am sure more people will want to go and there may even be a third visit. The point is, if you say you are going somewhere.....go. When a group is reserving a space, some poor soul is dropping down a deposit. Usually on these excursions, there is a fee depending on how many people go, the cost is shared, so when you drop out, everyone's price goes up! I can tell you that people who drop out on me, don't get asked again on my dime, unless there was a darn good reason like an illness, death in the family, or some other real emergency. Yet they still don't get a refund. It is sad it has to be that way, but that is the way it is.

Many do not realize that the whole "ghost hunting" hobby is expensive. Any hobby is really. Most good places are between $75-100 per person. This doesn't include getting there, food and possibly a motel. There are bargains out there, but they usually involve larger groups and you may be in with a bunch of screaming strangers (or like me have a strange woman attached to your hip at Waverly because she was scared to death). Having a location all to yourself all night, is expensive.

Villisca is an eight hour drive from here, so add in the gas money, snacks, drinks, and meals.....it will actually be over $250 per person, and that is if you don't throw a motel room into the deal to rest up! Whoever makes the deposit, is already out that money (Villisca is a $200 deposit). We are not going to slap down $200 so a bunch of folks can back out. Luckily we have a solid group already booked, and another booking in the process.

Before volunteering to go on an investigation, know what all the costs are, and use your head. Don't expect the group leader to tell you you will have to pay for food sometime over a two day period, that should be something you should know. Know how you are getting there. Don't say "I'm in",  then hope to find a ride. Know that you will be paying for gas whether you are driving or not. Have some extra "emergency" money on you if you are going a few hours away. If the car breaks down you will need repair funds and maybe a motel...and more meals. Make sure you can have that day off (and the next one as you will be worn out), and pay up as soon as you can. The group leader isn't an ATM (if you go with me, you pay before you are even considered to be going at all).

Book a trip on the thought process of, "I can afford it, even if everyone backs out", if you can't, get the money first, or don't book.

Then ENJOY! Know where you are going, plan the trip and be safe!

Peshaui Wequashimese




(C)2012 Dr R M Wolf. May not be used, copied or reproduced without prior written permission.