This Sunday is Halloween - one of my favourite times of year. After learning last year of the Cantos Music Foundations' Halloween event where they had someone who could do psychometry "read" their instruments, a few of us thought that would be a fun way to hear some history - to have a psychic tell us about some of our artifacts so that we could look at them in a different way than museums usually do.

Over the last year I have been trying to learn as much as I can about psychometry and the paranormal world. I learned that there is far more to it than ghosts and spirits - that people in Lethbridge believe there are vortexes in the coulees, that exorcisms of some sort are actually not as uncommon as I would have thought, etc. Of course, my beliefs have been mainly shaped by my experiences from Hollywood movies and I haven't really talked to anyone before this about this "world" but I have learned that it is large, in fact very large in Lethbridge. This surprised me as being a religious community, I assumed that there would be many hurdles to learning some basics so I could figure out how to plan this event, but instead I found that there are a lot of people who believe and practice these things here, they are just not in locations that I frequent. I remember learning about this in sociology classes in university - you know what you do because of who and where you spend time and until you immerse yourself into someone else's world, your whole belief is based on assumptions usually shaped from the world you are immersed in.

So this has been an interesting journey. I came at this as a skeptic and while I would not say that I am 100% a believer in everything I have heard, I now believe that I have learned enough to know that some of what I have heard does intrigue me and make some sense to me. I totally respect everyone I have met and talked to - their beliefs may not always match mine but they are patient and kind in explaining things to me and answering my many "dumb questions". I am always glad to meet people with differing views who will take the time to explain them to me, as it is those who look down on different people and don't take the time to explain things, that often end up being the image that we remember - that has not been my experience this time at all!

So in the last few days we have firmed things up and I am hoping Lethbridge is looking for an experience similar to what I, as someone who admits much stupidity in this area, would be looking for. We have an individual who has the ability to pick up on energies who will tell us what she can about some objects that we have selected and she hasn't seen. The audience will have a chance to ask her questions as well. Do you believe in her abilities? Well it will be up to you to decide after you spend some time with her.

We will also have tours of our building but instead of the normal tour, we will do the tour where people will hear about the experiences reported by staff, visitors and volunteers in our building. Some of the stories will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up and many will make you giggle as you hear about things such as jokes that staff have pulled on each other, as we have "played ghost" before to try to scare each other! Are visitors and regulars in our building paranoid, or are these experiences real? Well it will be up to you to decide in the end!

We will also have an individual who is an amateur in the field but who has spent many years studying and learning, to answer your questions about different things to do with dealing with the paranormal world. He can also tell you some of the stories of Lethbridge ghosts that he has collected or heard about and then it will be up to you to decide if you believe or if he is pulling your leg and a really good actor!

And of course we have some people who claim to be able to give you readings based on tarot cards and other things. Again, some people take this very seriously and others think this is all fun. Our readers will surely share with you some things you didn't know and you can take it all in and believe in all that you hear, or you can laugh and have a good time with their attempts at "reading" you.

So this Halloween, we definitely invite you to share a few hours with us - will you come as a skeptic and leave as a believer....or come as a skeptic and leave as a skeptic?? Maybe you will come as a believer and leave skeptical of the people we found to help out with this event?? If so, maybe you can let me know who you would have invited and why....in case we do this event again next year.

In the end, we just want to have a fun evening for those people who don't have kids to take trick or treating - basically any adult who is curious to experience something different than their norm, or those who celebrate this as their norm. I know that I want to learn new things, I want to appreciate new beliefs....and I may not believe in the end but I will certainly be able to say that I listened, tried and have had some fun experiences no matter what I believe in the end!

So join us....if you dare ;) And know that all funds raised support the Galt and Trap\Door Artist Run Centre, who are partners in this new, entertaining Halloween event. In the end, you'll have helped two wonderful organizations, while having a good time with your friends!