British government pays for exorcism.
I’ve known not one but two people who had “castings-out” of what they considered to be spirits in their homes. One was an aunt of mine who believed strongly that there was something Not Right on the little-used third floor of her old house. Several relatives who stayed there reported feeling extremely odd, and my grandmother (aka the least fanciful human being who has ever walked the face of the earth) was awakened in the night while staying there — she would never discuss precisely what happened, but she kept saying that everyone should believe my aunt and that a priest needed to see to it. A priest saw to it. Apparently there were still occasional bad vibes but far fewer and less often. Another was a law school classmate — funny, snarky and very down to earth — who nonetheless felt quite certain he was being watched in his house. He kept trying to ignore it until one day his wife confessed the same feeling, and coming from the same particular two corners that creeped him out. Then their young daughter innocently piped up and asked if they were talking about that thing with all the eyes. Again with the priest-calling. They had no more problems.
I don’t believe in ghosts, and yet I am not disposed to ignore those people’s experiences entirely. It’s interesting.
Who else has had known someone who had a “casting-out”? Or have any folks out there had them done themselves?
When I moved into a different bedroom in the apartment I shared with 3 other girls years ago, we cast the wards aroudn the room before I moved in (the previous roommate had deep depression and wasn’t entirely stable). It’s mostly ceremonial, but it’s comforting and an excellent “fresh start” approach. I did the same thing when I put my Brighid’s Cross up over my front door in December, in my New Digs. And I’ve felt safer and more comfortable in my own home since I did so (changing the locks helped as well–tho that was a practical concern rather than spiritual).
*raises hand*
My family dentist is the mother of one of my childhood classmates, so whenever my mom goes they chat. Apparently my dentist and her family took some sort of religious field trip around Eastern Europe, which included a real life exorcism! So they’re all in this room, watching this woman writhe and growl and make horrible, ghastly noises when the priest gets this horrified look and tells everyone to get out, and pray really hard so that they don’t get possessed.
My feelings towards all things supernatural is basically what the Cowardly Lion does in the Wizard of Oz: if they don’t exist, great. If they do, I’m not about to piss them off by saying they don’t.
A friend of mine lived in a house which had ‘history’ some years back. She was convinced that something wasn’t right with the place, but her mother wouldn’t listen. It wasn’t until her 4 year old brother started sitting on the stairs talking to ‘an old man with black eyes’ who apparently told him to attack his mother that his mum called in a local Catholic priest. Unfortunately, the priest couldn’t shift whatever was there and after another attack the family moved out. The house couldn’t stay occupied for more than a year after that and I think it’s currently standing empty.