While walking through a local park the other morning, I felt someone walking closely behind me. I turned around quickly but saw nothing; however, I couldn’t shake the feeling. That’s when it occurred to me I was not being followed by a human being, but an entity, and that entity was not happy.
Atlanta: Where the Past Meets the Present
I think often of the words a wise woman I knew said: All land is ancient. I decided to do some research to determine why I was experiencing negative energy in the park before I took further action.
It turns out the entire area was once known as Old Cross Keys, which was directly in the path of William T. Sherman’s 1864 March to the Sea. In fact, Sherman set up headquarters one mile down the road at The Samuel House, which remains standing today.
An historic marker at the park’s edge notes the crossroads settlement as well as the name of the post master, James Reeve. Another historic marker, located near The Samuel House, recognizes the temporary Union Army headquarters.
“The large brick residence built in 1857 by Samuel House (1798-1873) was a prominent landmark during military operations by Federal forces on the Atlanta front in July, 1864. Cox’s div. of Schofield’s 23rd A.C. reached this vicinity July 18; Schofield, in person, with the division was here joined by Sherman who established headquarters at the house.”
A Trail of Devastation and Fear
As Sherman moved through the area, he ordered Union troops to break up the rail and telegraph lines, and if citizens fired at them, his troops were ordered to fire back.
“If fired on from the Forts or buildings of Atlanta no consideration must be paid to the fact that they are occupied by families but the place must be cannonaded without the formality of a demand.” SFO no. 39 William T. Sherman
A Woman Begs for Her Husband to Return
Sherman left behind troops in the area of Old Cross Keys to protect the waterways and the rear as he and other troops advanced on Atlanta. Per some reports the troops became “marauders who would terrorize the few remaining citizens until many of them were forced to flee.”
While most of the residents had departed, a few remained, including Nellie Jett, who wrote letters to her Confederate soldier husband, begging him to come home.
My Dear Husband,
…I have wrote and wrote until I haven’t anything else to write unless I could get a letter from you. I will have to send part of the family off. Fanny starts next Monday for Gwinnett. They want me to send the children. I will send Charity and Steve. I can’t stay here among the yanks by myself. I intend to live if I can. The people is moving off. The yanks went up to Gwinnett foraging. The rebs keep cutting off their supply. Soon they will go back. I hope they will go. You don’t know how glad I would be to get a letter from you. You surely have forgot us. If you knew how I want to see you, you would come to see me. I have just heard the yanks have took Barnesville. Write, please write.
There is no further historical reference for Nellie Jett, so I don’t know if she lived beyond the battle of Atlanta. I hope she did!
An Italian Tunnel and a Restless Spirit
The spirit at the local park was not the first experience I’ve had with an angry ghost in a public place. That same creepy feeling came over me once before when I was walking through a tunnel beneath the street outside of Florence, Italy in 2018. I never felt that the entity would attack, but the spirit made me a bit nervous as I didn’t speak Italian and the area was dark. It made me very happy to see the light at the end of that tunnel!
Why Doesn’t the Ghost Go Towards “the Light?”
A ghost remains earthbound for a variety of reasons. It may be stuck at a home once owned, on an old battlefield, at a gravesite, on family land, or the death may have been sudden and traumatic.
Imaginespirit.com offers additional reasons why a ghost doesn’t make a natural transition and stays earthbound:
- A spirit may think they have important unfinished business.
- Significantly, they want to impart an important message.
- Furthermore, they have an emotional attachment to those left behind.
- They’re ashamed of committing suicide.
- The spirit may feel rage at being robbed of life.
- A spirit may fear how they’ll be treated in the afterlife if they were criminal or neglectful.
- They stay for the sake of curiosity or even revenge.
- Quite often, a spirit may be searching for a lost child or lover.
- Finally, some spirits want to attach to someone living to vicariously continue bad behavior or addictions.
What to do if a Ghost Follows You
I chose not to “entertain” the entity at the park because I wanted to research the cause of its presence before taking further action. Once I determine the reason an entity hangs around a place, I attempt to work with it to help it to “go home.” However, spirits don’t always want to leave a place; if that is the case, and as long as the entity is causing no harm, I leave it be.
Ghost Hunting: How to Investigate the Paranormal, suggests the following when coming across a ghost:
- Ignore the ghost
- Use humor
- Listen and Learn (ask it what it wants)
- Tell the ghost to leave
Clearing Out Energy
Now that Spring is just around the corner, it’s time to move energy in your space – open your windows if you can and clear out that old, stale energy. Clearing out old energy can renew your body, mind and spirit, according to MindBodyGreen.com, especially if: you’re in a funk or feeling stuck, you’ve been in an argument, you are getting over sickness, you are making a life transition, or you’ve experienced a loss.
It’s also a good way to remove residual energy from a ghost encounter.
What can you do to shift the energy in your home? Consider the following:
- Set a positive intention for your home.
- Burn herbs (or other options including sage). Can’t burn anything? Consider a Himalayan salt lamp instead!
- Crystals can be used to diffuse energy.
- Make noises or use bells or drums as you move about the space.
- Burn incense.
- Use salt around the outside of the house and in a line at the entrance of the house.
- Use a diffuser.
- Visualize your heart lit up in gold and let that gold light spread throughout your body.
- Get rid of clutter.
The important thing to remember is to dissipate stale energy – with crystals, chimes, sage, or by moving your body – especially if you have been in a space where energy gathers.