The Witching Hour by Chris Chaos

There are several interpretations of the time and the definition of The Witching Hour. Some say midnight, others say 3 am, and still others state between the hours of 9 pm - 3 am. The modern meaning of the phrase, The Witching Hour, is midnight and refers to the time of night when witches, devils, and ghosts become their most powerful. Black magic is the most effective and even colicky babies rise to annoy their slumbering parents.

Others use the phrase, arbitrarily, in exchange for bad luck or the time when it is most likely to occur. Examples are crime, storms, ghosts making appearances and when babies wake up crying. Images of acts out of the film, The Purge may come to mind.

In medieval times, this time frame was considered to be when witches practiced acts by which the Christians considered unholy. Without a good reason, some females may have been accused of being a witch if out beyond the hours of midnight.

Within modern entertainment, movies and ghost hunters alike, they may consider 3 a.m. to be peak timing when ghosts and spirits appear. The movie, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, popularized 3 a.m., stating that 3 a.m. was the time when evil forces mocked the Holy Trinity. Also 3 a.m. is opposite of 3 p.m., as it was stated to be the time that Jesus died.

To just simply associate numbers, some Wiccans used 3 a.m. since they have the Threefold Laws and a Triple Goddess.

Midnight has always been ominous in film and literature, we have all heard the line, "At the stroke of midnight." And let us not forget what happened to Cinderella at the stroke of midnight. Werewolves also turn into wolf form at midnight on a full moon.

So in all logical thinking, 12 am is The Witching Hour and 3 am would refer to The Devil's Hour. Most will agree that the Devil's Hour begins at 3 am and runs until 3:59 am, but still might be felt until the sun breaks through the early dawn. Depending on where you are in the world, the sunrise may be 4 am in the summer and 7 am in the winter. Built on Christian inspired fear, this was named after the Devil, Lucifer, and the perceived power he has over the world during this hour. Supposedly when demons come out of their spirit world and interact in the human's world this is the time when they are the strongest.

This is also the hour that demons and devil worshipers participate in dark/black ceremonies to build their power base to counteract the 3 pm holy aura of when Jesus died. Some that believe in the Apocalypse think that the 3 am time zone will spawn the Anti-Christ.

The 3 am hour is also considered the time when most evil takes place, deaths occur, and bad luck happens. The Witching Hour (12 am) gives the Devil's Hour a boost at 3 am due to the fact that the holy rays of the sun are absent and far away from the 3 pm time of the clock. The most powerful time of year for the evil spirits would be the Devil's Hour on Halloween due to the thinning of the veil. There’s also the lack of good human consciousness as most sleep during this time, and their soul partially resides in the astral dream plane. That coupled with the increase in evil consciousness adds more fuel to the Devil’s Hell fire on Earth.

Legend has it that if you wake up at exactly 3:00 AM for no reason in a state of terror then the Devil has paid you a visit literally or in your dreams. A mere state of heightened agitation might indicate demonic or poltergeist visitation. Also attack from all manner of supernatural beings increase during the Devil’s Hour. It certainly known that a Werewolves rage is at it’s height during the 100% full Moon in the Devil’s Hour. This is where the most Werewolf related attacks and deaths take place. According to Christians, it’s best for all to stay in bed under covers blessed in Holy Water during the Devil’s Hour to insure your safety until dawn arrives.

But all in all, clocks, time and the concepts mentioned above are all man made devices. The universe is far too strange and vast for man's small mind to comprehend.

For additional topics on the strange, weird and unexplained, be sure to visit: https://www.facebook.com/Cursedbook

(Chris Chaos is a long time resident of South Jersey who once again resides in and writes from Gloucester City, New Jersey. He is a filmmaker, a business owner, writer, urban explorer and investigator of the odd and weird, a proud parent, happily taken and a connoisseur of hot wings. Chris can be reached at AxisVideo@aol.com)

Demons (aka: Fallen Angels) - Part 2 by Chad Stambaugh

Demons (aka: Fallen Angels) - Part 2

*To read part 1, click here. 

 

     This article is a continuation of the first one that I wrote. In the first article I touched on some of the basics about demons, and their rebellion. In the first article I referred mostly to the demons that were cast out of Heaven in the rebellion with Satan and are now being kept in chains in the pits of nether gloom until the last judgment. That is the “Fallen Angels.”

     However that was only some of the demons. Not all of them were cast into pits of nether gloom and/or out of Heaven. I also went into a little detail about the appearance of demons. In this article I will be discussing the other demons, their kingdom, as well as one of the most popular misconceptions about them, which is their “names.”

     The other demons that I’m referring to are the “free demons.” That is the ones that are allowed to wander the earth with Satan stalking mankind. They are also known as the “principalities”, “powers of the air”, and “the powers of darkness.” It is these demons that still have access to the heavenliest, as well as the earth. These demons are the ones that seek to corrupt, possess, and destroy mankind. Before I go any further though I need to explain what I mean by the heavenlies. When Satan was cast out of heaven he was cast out of the third heaven also known as heaven of heavens. That is the Heaven where Jesus Christ ascended to and now sits ruling over all, and having all authority, power, and dominion. Satan was cast forever out of the presence of God until the last judgment, but, not out of Heaven completely. You have to remember that heaven itself is another realm, one that we cannot see. Also, all demons are “Fallen Angels” there are just different ones.     

      Satan is of course the ruler of these demons, and has established a kingdom of his own. Just as there is a rank and order among the angels in Heaven that serve God and Jesus Christ there is a rank and order among the demons and their kingdom in serving Satan. Scripture indicates that there is a rank and order system among the demons when it refers to Abaddon. Abaddon is the ruler of the demons in the abyss. It is from this that we can reason that Satan has some type of ranking system within his kingdom, not to mention the fact that to assume that his kingdom and the demons that follow and serve him would be unorganized is not logical.

     This is where we will get into the names of the demons. I’m sure most of you have come across websites that list all the names of known demons and their ranks. While some of the names you see are legitimate, you simply cannot trust all of them. As a matter of fact, you can throw most of them out. The Bible does name some of the demons in scripture as do other ancient writings. The problem with trusting any other ancient writings is that they have been found to be inaccurate as well as contradict what the Bible teaches. It is for these reasons that the names of demons found in anything but the Bible simply cannot be trusted. Having said that, that doesn’t mean you have to disregard what it says altogether because some of it could be true. You should just be mindful that it could also be wrong. Remember though that the Holy Bible is the ultimate authority and it will never mislead you. The fact of the matter is that most demons will take on the name of whatever they’re inflicting or doing at the time. I will list some of the names of demons found in the Bible below. Most of these are the “gods” and idols that the different cultures and people worshiped. Scripture indicates that it was actually demons that influenced this type of worship and activity.     

 Legion                                   Gad

Baal                                      Balaam

Bel                                        Hammon

Belial                                    Lilith

Beelzebub (Satan)                Moloch

Seirim                                   Abaddon

     Finally, I need to address an age old myth concerning the names of demons. That myth is that if you say or write the name of a demon you will be attacked. This stems from the old saying “Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself.” It is most unfortunate but there are some people that lead others to believe this. Saying or writing the name of a demon will not cause you to be attacked by one. It’s the fear and recognition that you are giving the demon that could cause an attack. Even then one would have to be around, and be strong enough to do anything. Not to mention several other things that would need to take place. I say the names of demons all the time; have just written a list of them above, and nothing happens.

     In conclusion, there’s more to demons than most people realize. As I’ve said before, the only true way to correctly learn about demons and the demonic is through the Church, not your local library. Most of the websites on the internet that have information about demons are just not accurate or are completely wrong. The same goes for many of the books that have been written about demons. Unless you get your information through the Church, Seminary, or a Bible college you cannot trust what is out there. Just like you shouldn’t believe everything you see and hear, you shouldn’t believe everything you read either.

 Provoking

     The subject of provoking is one that I am very passionate about.  That is because of the fact of where it originated from and because too many paranormal groups use it today.  Provoking originated from religious provocation.

     Religious provocation is used by the clergy and Religious Demonologists to make demons show themselves in order to gather the proof needed to get the church involved, etc. It is also used by paranormal groups when they wish to make a spirit or entity show itself.  There is one major difference though.  If the clergy or R.D. is the target of an attempted attack they know how to successfully defend themselves and fight back.  A paranormal group or investigator usually does not.

     A paranormal group will use provoking when it appears that whatever is in the home isn’t going to show itself on its own.  The word provoking is used because the paranormal team will try to get the spirit/entity to show itself by making fun of it, demand that it show itself, challenge it, and even use foul language.      

     For a paranormal team to provoke whatever is in the home is not only foolish but it is also extremely dangerous. This is for the simple fact that they may not be sure what they’re dealing with.  Many investigators have learned this the hard way because when they attempted it they were not only attacked physically but also emotionally and mentally.  This is because that most people, whether they are seasoned investigators or not can be traumatized by this.  How do you think it would make you feel if you were attacked by something that you couldn’t see let alone defend yourself against.  It can really do some serious damage.  It is for those reasons that no one should ever provoke or challenge something that may be in a home.

     If any case that I go on ever has a chance of being demonic in nature then I always tell the client what religious provocation is, how it’s used, when it’s used, what could happen, etc.  I then also tell the client that if they don’t want me using it then I absolutely will not.  If a R.D. or paranormal group is planning on using provocation then they should have enough respect for the client to tell them what it is and what could happen.  If things get out of hand the team can leave, the homeowner cannot.  Never, ever use provoking without the permission of the homeowner.

     Please, do not ever use provoking unless you are properly trained and think it is absolutely necessary and you have the homeowner’s permission.  If you meet these three requirements then please be careful and ready for anything because anything could happen.

Demons (aka: Fallen Angels) Part 1 by Chad Stambaugh

Demons (aka: Fallen Angels) Part 1

     The history of demons goes back to the beginning of time itself.  Demons did not always exist however. They were created as angels before man was created. As angels they were good in nature just like all the others, as God intended them to be. However, pride led to the downfall of many of them.  It was this pride that caused these angels to not only think but to even believe that they were equal to God Himself.  It was this pride that caused them to think that they did not have to stay in their assigned roles or duties, and thus themselves above God and rule over even Him (Jude 6).  Lucifer, who was the leader of the rebellion, would become known as Satan and the angels that followed him became demons.

     It is important to know and understand one thing before I go any further.  God did not create evil, he can’t.  God is pure, love, kindness, omnipotent, omnipresent, etc.  There is nothing bad or evil about God, there is no darkness in Him what so ever, only light.

     It was the pride of some of the angels that caused them to sin against God, thus causing some of them to be chained and cast into the pits of nether gloom to be kept until the last judgment of Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 2:4)  However, not all of the demons were chained and committed to those pits after the rebellion.  The other demons were cast out of the third Heaven which is also known as the heaven of heavens.  This is where Jesus Christ ascended to and now sits and rules over all having all authority, power, and dominion. Thus they were removed from the presence of God and Jesus Christ until the last judgment.

    Once they were cast from Heaven they lost a great deal of their powers as a part of their    punishment.  When it comes to their powers they still have more power against non-Christians than they do Christians.  For example, against a non-Christian they can control, possess, deceive, blind them spiritually, and trap them.  To a Christian they can tempt, harass, and deceive them at times but never control or possess them.  Demons can possess people and animals only, not dolls like some people believe.  People will often hear stories of possessed dolls and toys and it is believed because the doll or toy was said to have moved on its own.  What’s happening in those stories is that the doll or toy is being manipulated by the demon, not being possessed.  Demons cannot possess inanimate objects.

     It’s not just the powers and abilities of demons that are popular, it’s their appearance too.  Demons have even found their way into medieval art.  During that era they usually appeared as little black evil creatures or “imps” in paintings.  Of course demons do not actually have material or physical bodies.  They can appear as a black humanoid form, but they cannot duplicate the human form perfectly.  This is because demons never were human.  It is more common for them to appear as a black mass, red mist, or orange mist. Although demons have no true form or body they will also appear in an ugly, grotesque form to scare the people they are appearing before.  This is to initiate a reaction of fear. Fear is what a demon feeds off of because it makes them stronger.  Demons can also appear in more friendly forms though to gain acceptance into a home or life.  For example, demons can appear to very small children as another child to gain acceptance into the child’s life and home.  This is where some children get their imaginary friends. This is also a good example of how they deceive people to get what they want.

      As I have stated before, demons will do whatever they can to get what they want, nothing is beneath them.  Until the final judgment of Christ they have nothing but time, and the wisdom of the ages to do whatever they can to try and destroy mankind and make him/her suffer as much as possible in the process.

Replying to Some Hate Mail: "Grow up"

Usually I don't do this. If I see a post that is errm...questionable on the intelligence level I just don't approve of it, but this guy or gal said some stuff that I would like to reply to. For some odd reason Blogger won't allow me to reply to post, so I'll have to do this for now on. Anyway, here's the message I got from this aggrivated zealot:

"You know that all this paranormal stuff you chase after is more likely than not demons you are contacting. Jesus said for it is appointed unto men to die once then the judgement. Maybe you want to consider growing up and stop playing in this dark stuff. Give your life to Christ and follow him. Paranormal activity is from Satan, and will lead you down a road you don't want to go. Yes there may be spirits but they are not friendly spirits. Leave well enough alone."

They didn't bother leaving their name which is fine, because most people don't, but let's break this down and give this fine specimen of a human being something to ponder about:

""You know that all this paranormal stuff you chase after is more likely than not demons you are contacting. Jesus said for it is appointed unto men to die once then the judgement."

Answer: The verses of bibles are a work of poetry, I'll give the many authors of those books that. Do I believe in demons? Not really. Believe it or not, most of the time I'm pretty skeptical until something happens. Just if someone says, "Hey, there's a demon in my house!" As a parnormal reporter I'm obligated to say what they report. Doesn't mean I believe in it, but it's more respectful to just give them the benefit of the doubt and hey, if something happens, then it happens. You always have to be prepared to be wrong in this field.

"Maybe you want to consider growing up and stop playing in this dark stuff."

I don't want to grow up though, I want to be a Toys R' Us kid! Seriously though, what am I doing wrong? We are stepping into a house and talking to ourselves or spirits, who knows? And if there is no such thing as spirits then we are just morons talking to ourselves. What's the harm? Paranormal investigating to me is just a hobby. It's something I have fun with until a demon (whoops, sorry I said that evil word) comes up and takes me to the depths of Hell then I'll consider "growing up." Until then, I'll just be me.

"Give your life to Christ and follow him. Paranormal activity is from Satan, and will lead you down a road you don't want to go. Yes there may be spirits but they are not friendly spirits. Leave well enough alone."

Give my life to Christ? Tempting, but I'm still young. You realize that right? I'm not fifty years old, done some really bad stuff in my life, and then using Christ as a scapegoat so people will feel sorry for me. Sorry, but not for me. Paranormal activity is for Satan? So is heavy metal and I love that stuff, so I guess I'm hell bound then right? No such thing as friendly spirits? So my friends who have seen their dead grandmothers should be scared and put Holy Water on them then? Listen pal (or gal), what works for you is not going to work for everyone. Myself included...thanks for the insight though. Maybe someday I'll find the lord, but for right now....yeah, not yet. Give me your email and when I'm ready, we'll talk.