Monday, November 17, 2014

A Message in the House of Mirrors


Have you ever gone to a medium?
I did last night.

This was only the second time ever
that I have visited a medium,
although I have had 
some interesting experiences
with Tarot readings,
fortune tellers
and psychic friends.

So when one of my special friends 
with healing and intuitive talents
invited me to go to an event she had arranged 
with a nationally known medium, 
I was all in!

What can I say?
Curiosity is one of my strongest traits.







What a venue!
The House of Mirrors
on Market Street
in Denver's
LODO district.

Now, I've taken many
walking field trips 
to LODO 
with my third graders,
but somehow
our historical guide
never told us about 
the House of Mirrors.






Source 





Good thing too,
because it was once notorious 
throughout the Rockies 
as Denver's premier brothel.
Try explaining that to third graders!





Denver Madam Jennie Rogers 
built the House of Mirrors in 1889
with money 
tainted with blackmail and murder.
She successfully ran it 
until she died in 1910.






Source





Jenny's rival 
Mattie Silks purchased the brothel
and reigned as Denver's 
Queen of the Row,
until prohibition fever in Colorado
shut down prostitution in 1916.







Wikimedia




So I walked into this upstairs room
of polished wooden floors, red bricked walls,
historical photos, floor to ceiling mirrors ~
and I had no camera!  Rats!  

A small group of us gathered 
about pushed together, white-cloth-covered tables, 
enjoyed dinner and drinks,
and settled in for a fascinating ride.

I am highly skeptical about contacting
spirits on the other side,
but there is just enough 
of my Scottish father in me
to approach the event 
with my nemesis, curiosity.

I have to say, I was really intrigued
by the way the medium connected with each person
and touched on important people and events in their lives.

For privacy reasons I won't say anything 
about what transpired with the others,
but I will share part of my experience.

Bam!  
Dead first husband, Ray,
from a difficult marriage and painful divorce ~
which I don't regret, 
because there was much that was good
and it led me to the Ever-Patient.

So Ray's message was:
He didn't expect to go so young.
He was sorry for the separation
and he's claiming responsibility.
He's sorry he caused me pain.

At which point I burst out,
"He should be sorry!"
and planted my face in the tablecloth
with my arms over my ears.
(I hadn't expected that move on my part!)

His message continued:
He's really has a lot of regret and remorse.
He says that he's a lot smarter on the other side
and a lot less dumb than he was in this life.
He's sorry he caused me pain
for such a long time.
He didn't take care of my heart.
He was too narcissistic in life.
He said I was his healer
and that I needed healing.
He was lonely when he died.

The medium told me other things as well,
but this was the most fascinating.
She had immediately zeroed in on
the most painful experience of my life
and spoke words that so resonated
with my dead husband.

So, I don't know what to make
of last night's experience.

I'm highly skeptical,
but I woke up this morning
feeling much more at peace.

This from me, the woman who learned of his death,
did a dance on the floor (visualizing his grave),
and said, "Take that you bastard!"
Not my finest moment, I admit.
One I've regretted many times since.

But, real or not,
I'm grateful for the release.

So, how about you?
Had any powerful experiences with a medium
or thoughts you'd like to share?


36 comments:

  1. I've had powerful moments with God that brought me peace.
    The House of Mirrors is a cool building.

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  2. I'm curious too.. but I've never been to a medium.
    I find fortune tellers and psychics extremely interesting. Maybe one day I will go. A friend of my is into astrology and has her charts done yearly. I guess I'm trying to harness that universal love energy, trying to learn to be still enough to connect - to hear gods voice above the ruckus.
    Lovely picture of the House of Mirrors :)

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    1. Hi Dawna! I have several friends, and one sister, who are really psychic, and I don't know what to make of it all; but it is fascinating. I'm searching like you! Have a happy evening!

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  3. That is pretty cool. Between you and me, I think it wouldn't take much for me to...be...a medium. And that's all I'll say about that. :)

    I'm glad you were peaceful the next morning. We should never let another person steal our peace.

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    1. Very cool, TPC! I don't believe and I don't not believe. I am sure there is more going on than we can ever imagine. Have a great day!

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  4. I believe that we should accept peace and comfort from any source we can.
    I never heard of the House of Mirrors before. I'll look for it the next time I'm in that area of town.

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    1. I'm still feeling peaceful! Yay! FYI, to go to the HoM, you have to enter through Lodo's Bar and Grill. There is no big sign visible from the street. Stay warm!

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  5. Never had any moments with a medium, skeptical indeed, but open. You just never know, but then there are so many crackpots out there too. At least you got some peace, that is nice. I did try a psychic once and he was dead on, either really good at guessing or something to it.

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    1. It's easy to dismiss when you run across a crackpot, but much harder when a psychic is spot on. The one I saw Sunday night was uncanny. So i'm just staying open! Have a good one, Pat!

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  6. I've been to a local medium who works with the police. She doesn't advertise but will do private readings. I was to one before and she didn't give me anything. I need specifics like names, places. Judy began the reading by looking at me and saying..I see education and art with you. I said I majored in education is college and minored in art. I was blown away. As she continued she got my father in laws name and how he died, places I had just visited, people I had just seen, connections to places in our family and my mother's middle name which is Blanche. How do you pull Blanche out of a hat? I don't know how she got her information so the first thing I did when I got out is talk to the gal who set this up for me. She hadn't even given the lady my name. I'm a firm believer in life on the other side since my dad opened a bottle of wine for my sisters and I one time. Yes, a bottle of his homemade wine popped it's cork right after we were contemplating whether we should open it and drink it. We were outside and heard the pop and I couldn't believe it. I'm a believer!

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    1. This is a fascinating comment, Peggy. Thank you for sharing. Trenny, the medium I saw Sunday night, was really good at pulling out details, not just for me, but for the others. It was quite something to see. I would go again, maybe for a private reading, still out of curiosity. I am undecided, but open, because I think something is definitely going on. Have a happy day ~ stay warm!!!!!

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  7. I have never been to a medium. Like Alex, your first commenter, I have had moments of peace in nature and with God, and I find both a huge comfort. Great post, thanks so much for sharing.

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    1. Thanks, Linda! I, too, have felt those moments with God, especially in wilderness. But I have to admit, I am curious and undecided about all sorts of paranormal phenomena. I hope you are having a great day.

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  8. I have never been to a medium but I would love to do so. I am intrigued by the prospect of the experience. I hope you have a terrific Tuesday :)

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    1. Thanks, Keith! My Tuesday is going well, but I seem to be perpetually playing catchup. I would definitely go again because my experience was intriguing. Have a great rest-of-the-day!

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  9. Never seen a psychic but I would leave if they seemed surprised to see me.

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    1. So many times you make me laugh, Adam! I hope that you are enjoying your day!

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  10. I've never visited a medium. However, there are a handful of people on whose graves I would gladly dance, without apology or regret.

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    1. You are too funny, Debra! Grave-dancing felt very good at the time, but obviously I hadn't released all my anger and hurt. But I seem to be past that now, and maybe I can move toward forgiveness. We'll see. Have a great day!

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  11. I've never visited a medium, but I have done my own Tarot readings. If you can believe it...I have a little psychic bone in me. I used to have dreams that would literally come true, feelings that were right on, and many of my Tarot readings were accurate as well.

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    1. Your comment doesn't surprise me Chrys. I have friends and a sister who are surprisingly accurate with Tarot cards. I've known a number of people with strong psychic bones ~ which makes it hard for me to dismiss the phenomena. Thanks for sharing!

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  12. I've never been to a medium and used to roll my eyes when my mother talked of visiting one (I think, deep down, her stories frightened me) with her older (by 18 years) sister who lost her husband in the Vicker's explosion in Montreal, 1932. Your post triggered my first desire to know more about that and I found this article. http://www3.gendisasters.com/quebec/13497/montreal-qb-oil-tanker-explosion-june-1932 (No need to read this, but including, just in case it's of interest for anyone.) The injuries and painful deaths were gruesome to read. My aunt raised her two young boys alone after that. She was a strong lady. I always respected that, but your post brought her into my thoughts so vividly. I've always claimed skepticism but then.. there's that Newfy side to me :) Love the honesty of your writing so much! Your own story will stay with me. As for no cameras allowed.. doesn't that drive you nuts? :)

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    1. Thanks for your thoughtful comment, Carol. I will come back and check out your link later ~ have to go meet my trainer in a few minutes. I am constantly amazed at the resilience and strength of women. There are strong women in my family too. I went back and edited my post a tinsy bit, after I realized that people were thinking no cameras were allowed. I forgot my camera! And I'm kicking myself, because I'm going to have to go back. Have a great rest-of-your-day!

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  13. Hi Louise, Mediums scare me ... I'm just a little too prone to seeing and hearing things from the other side myself :) ... but it would be very interesting to go to a medium ... but no, I'd be afraid "something" would follow me home! Hugs Barb

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    1. Nothing followed me home, Barb! Except that I woke up with a sense of peace regarding Mr. Razzle Dazzle. I'll have to talk to you on the phone about the rest. Maybe the next time you're here, we can go together and see what you think. That way, anything following could come to my place and not yours. Hugs right back at you!

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  14. What a fascinating experience! And I would definitely do it, especially if it meant the possibility of contacting my brother and father. I like to try new things, and I'm also very curious. I did go to a card reader a couple of times many, many years ago. She was bang on about a few things, and even predicted the meeting and eventual marriage of my present husband. It's been a very long time since I did anything like that, and I would probably do it again. It was a lot of fun.

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    1. Correction: She was mostly a palm reader with some card reading. Either way, she was pretty good at both.

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    2. Thanks for sharing, Martha. It is a lot of fun, and I would definitely try this again! My sister Barb, above, is an excellent Tarot card reader. So periodically I have her do a reading for me. The wife of one of my grade nine teachers (They were both from India) read my palm and gave me a strange reading that came true years later ~ including my divorce (no one in my extended family had EVER divorced), my inability to have children, and some other things I'm not ready to acknowledge publicly. She also said I had a very long life line. Hope that comes true, because I still have LOTS to do! LOL! Have a great day!

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  15. This is amazing, Louise! Gives me chills. I can't imagine how this made you feel. Well, I guess I can! You just told us! Happy something positive came from this experience for you.
    My only visit into this realm was at a 'regression therapy' workshop in which each of us was brought back to different developmental stages in our childhood and in utero. Then into our past lives. A very traumatic experience for me. I found myself back in 'Roman times' burning at the stake! Because of my rebellious ideas against the state!! It wasn't an easy experience....I am far too impressionable!! lol
    You will have to ask Ron about one of his past lives. Just sayin....
    Oh yes....I had my palm read and she told me I had kidney concerns.....three weeks earlier I had kidney surgery!! She also said that I lived an alternative lifestyle! lol

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  16. Oh I wish we had gotten into this last summer, Jim! You, Ron, Barb, and I could have had quite a fascinating conversation. What a traumatic experience for you ~ OMG! I was told some thirty-four years ago that I should have a past life regression done with an expert in the field. This wasn't in a formal reading, but I popped in on my best friend next door who had a another friend over who was a psychic. This psychic, who knew nothing about me, suddenly started talking to me because she was picking up things that really concerned her. I'm not going into the details here (which floored me), but suffice to say, she said I should do regression therapy, but only with a skilled expert. Even though she had past life regression clients, she said she wouldn't try that with me for anything, because there were some really bad things in my past lives and she didn't feel she could cope with me. She actually suggested a researcher with a university in Colorado! At that point I didn't know my marriage would end, nor did it ever enter my head that a few years later I would be living in Colorado. I never followed up on it, because I was afraid to. I have this conflict with my rational, scientific mind and a number of inexplicable experiences that tend to make me almost believe in reincarnation. Like knowing I've been hung ~ why would I think that? So like Pema Chadron, I'm prepared to be surprised when I die! Woo woo! Have a calm evening! No bad dreams about Romans and stakes, okay!

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  17. Fascinating!
    I am a skeptic. I would have a hard time trusting any Medium/Psychic/Card Reader. If she/he came up with things from my past, I'd figure someone leaked the information to her/him. I'd spend my time trying to find the angle. BUT…. sometimes you never know. I often feel like my mother is looking down on me with approval when I am doing something she cared about. It is uncanny.

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    1. Hi Dreaming! Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I can feel my parents at times too. I wish they were still here for real. Have a happy day! It's warm out!!!

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  18. I have had 3 situations in which I listened to a Medium/Psychic/card reader in my life with these preceded by my mother's reading by a lady in the Canning area who foresaw my father's death in the early 1950's. Mom told me this as we were on our way to see this lady for my reading in the late 60's. Nothing remarkable resulted from it but I do know Mom wouldn't go inside with me.
    The second time was the regression therapy Jim mentioned above which ended up with me being killed in the back of a car in the 30's or 40's. Fun times, eh!
    The third was in 2003-04 when we were hanging around with some gals who we loved to dance with and one of them new a palm reader. So we went along. Remember I am in my early 50's at that time. The long and short of it is ~ if you don't want to know things then don't ask ~ well I foolishly did ~ she told me I would have a full life only into my 60's. OUCH!

    Well, I am 1/2 way through and so far, sort of "good" ~ only a heart attack ~ I'm not trying to be glib but I tend to remember this stuff and I just feel like I'm waiting for the inevitable.

    So I take one day at a time and do my best.

    No more mediums!
    No more tarot cards!
    No more of these kind of things.

    I will enjoy my days with Jim and Sophie and whatever happens ~ happens.

    Cheers and I do mean CHEERS!
    Ron

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    1. Cheers, Ron! OUCH for sure! Don't fall into the traps of predestination or self-fulfilling prophecy! I just watched the Stephen Hawking video you or Jim put on FB ~ the card reader probably mixed this you up with another you in one of those infinite parallel universes. Actually I find the idea of the multiverse the most intriguing and satisfying ~ because somewhere in space and time I have it together! LOL! Seriously, there are so many unexplained phenomena, like your mother's experience or your past life regression. I don't know how to sort it all out. My mother would say that there are things we're not meant to know in this life, and that we see through a glass darkly, but once we die then things will become clear. So I'm with you: Take one day at a time and do my best! I'll probably do all the things you say No More! to, but I know not to ask certain questions. Btw, from what I've heard and read, most "ethical" readers of whatever sort will not predict your death or incapacity; and if they see something "bad" they will turn it around to how you can prevent or mitigate its happening. From what I've seen of you and Jim, you are doing all you can to live healthy and kindly, and you have probably already mitigated that ouchy reading. The heart attack may have been the ribbon on the package to inspire you to truly take care of yourself, and you're likely gonna outlive us all! So CHEERS right back at you, my friend! I want you around for a long, long time! Take care!

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    2. ♫♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♫♪

      Shaking it all up and viewing life from another angle sounds pretty good to me! We all think we have an inkling of what came before and after when in actuality ~ don't think so. I suspect we want a certain outcome because it sounds good or feels right. Coincidences do make one think though.
      Working on the health issue and guess what ~ you can't hurry it up. Gees!!!! Speedy Gonzales used to be my name but ain't no more. SO much to learn and relearn. I guess this is what life is all about.

      Loved your pics today with your birthday friend. All those smiles across the miles!

      Cheers again!
      Ron

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    3. Just hang in there, Ron! The tortoise won the race! I've been working for months on learning to do a pull-up! Still can't do one on my own, but I can do four sets of four with help. If it takes me another year to get there, so be it! I am going to wall climb!!~!!! As for learning ~ the day we stop learning, we might as well stop living. Take care! Can't wait to see you next summer!

      I celebrated a lot of "surprise" birthdays with Joanne ~ My kiddos always "surprised" her. And probably for fifteen years we had "surprise" birthdays for her husband Jules as well. I sure went through a lot of birthday cakes!

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Thank you for your comments! I appreciate them very much.