Welcome to Small Town Tales Podcast! In this episode titled "Mediumship and Life Balance," I sit down with Psychic Medium, Author and Life Coach Rick Hayes to discuss his life's work, his insights into being a leader and healer through mediumship and how to keep it all in balance!

This episode was recorded a month ago, just before heading off to the Rock Island Paracon discussed in this episode. Recently, I've stepped back to re-evaluate my direction with the paranormal, and after a month of reflection, releasing this show. Rick Hayes, true to his life's calling, talks about real life mediumship, and it's implications in spiritual development, not only for the medium, but for those whose lives a medium can potentially touch.

About Rick Hayes

Recognized as one of the top 25 Psychic Mediums in the U.S and best-selling author. For more than 19 years, Rick continues to share his inspiration and validations. He is a sought after and popular keynote speaker/lecturer in many venues including colleges/spiritual/business sector and well-being conferences. Rick is also the host of the ‘BElieve with Rick Hayes’ podcast available on many podcast platforms including Stitcher, Google Play, Apple, and Spotify. Rick has also appeared on film/television including SYFY Network, Travel Channel, CBS, Sirius Radio Network, and more. As a Life Coach, Rick has assisted many searching for ‘re-balance’ and purpose in life through individual consulting and on the speaking circuit. Rick enjoys his time with family, visiting historic locations, traveling, and embracing the value of life.
BElieve

Where to find Rick:

Website: www.lifesgift.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rickhayespsychicmedium

About CL Thomas

C.L. Thomas is a widely traveled fine arts photographer and writer, delving into afterlife research, out-of-body experiences (OBEs), metaphysics, and folklore. She lectures at various events and creates "Spirit" art upon request. C.L. is the author of the haunting memoir "Dancing with Demons" and the acclaimed historical-fiction novel "Speaking to Shadows." Additionally, she is the creator and host of the Small Town Tales Podcast. Her extensive writing includes numerous articles and a blog focusing on legends, folklore magic, and paranormal stories. Currently, she resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, with her beloved Golden Retriever and Maine Coon cat.

CL Thomas Website: www.clthomas.org

Sponsors:

Eerie Expeditions Magazine: www.eerieexpeditionsmagazine.com
Mysterious Adventures Tours: www.mysteriousadventurestours.com

Welcome to Small Town Tales Podcast! In this episode titled "Rooted in Magic: Appalachian Witch Magic with Pat O'Keefe," we explore the mystical traditions of the Appalachian Mountains. Join us as we dive deep into the world of Granny Women, folk magic, and ancient rituals with Pat O'Keefe, a trance medium, psychic, and natural-born witch. Discover the rich history and spiritual practices that have been passed down through generations and learn how these powerful traditions continue to thrive today. Get ready for an enchanting journey into the heart of Appalachian witch magic!

About Pat O'Keefe

Pat Bussard O’Keefe, M.S., is a trance medium, psychic, astral traveler, Tarot reader, Reiki Master, Consulting Hypnotist, Witch, author, and photographer. Coming from a lineage of psychically gifted women known as “Granny Women” in the Appalachian Mountains, Pat was raised in a mystical tradition that included clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, and psychometry. Guided by an angelic presence, she is also skilled in dream interpretation, palmistry, and astral projection.

Pat trained as a Consulting Hypnotist through the National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH) to help clients connect with their past lives for healing. She is a sought-after speaker on paranormal topics and has presented at prestigious events like the Lily Dale summer program. Pat is the author of nine books on the paranormal and psychic realms, including the Amazon bestseller Appalachian Granny Witch Magick. Her photography has been featured in paranormal-themed publications, and she recently completed The Faerie World Oracle deck.

Committed to giving back, Pat does not accept payment beyond travel expenses for missing persons cases. She holds a Master of Science degree from Old Dominion University and has pursued further studies at Virginia Tech, George Mason University, and Radford University. Pat spent her career as a journalist, journalism instructor, and marketing director at a Virginia state college. She is a member of the International High IQ Society and a part of the coven 3 Appalachian Witches.

Where to find Pat O'Keefe:

Website: www.3appalachianwitches.com

About CL Thomas

C.L. Thomas is a widely traveled fine arts photographer and writer, delving into afterlife research, out-of-body experiences (OBEs), metaphysics, and folklore. She lectures at various events and creates "Spirit" art upon request. C.L. is the author of the haunting memoir "Dancing with Demons" and the acclaimed historical-fiction novel "Speaking to Shadows." Additionally, she is the creator and host of the Small Town Tales Podcast. Her extensive writing includes numerous articles and a blog focusing on legends, folklore magic, and paranormal stories. Currently, she resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, with her beloved Golden Retriever and Maine Coon cat.

CL Thomas Website: www.clthomas.org

Sponsors:
Haunted Rock Island Roadhouse Paracon: www.xtremeticketing.com
OC Paracon: www.ocparacon.com
Eerie Expeditions Magazine: www.eerieexpeditionsmagazine.com
Mysterious Adventures Tours: www.mysteriousadventurestours.com

In this episode of "Small Town Tales Podcast," our guest is journalist and film producer John West, known for his extensive work in the paranormal field. John shared how he began his journey into writing about the paranormal, starting with his early days at Psychic News magazine, the world's longest-running publication dedicated to supernatural phenomena since the 1930s. We dove deep into John's beliefs about the true nature of ghosts and discussed intriguing topics such as the famous magician Uri Geller and his spoon-bending tricks, the chilling story of the Setons and the Curse of the Egyptian Tomb, and the Haunted Royal Homes of Queen Elizabeth II. We also explored the mysterious cases of the Haunting of Holy Trinity, the psychic legacy of Jack the Ripper, the eerie mystery of Jimmy Garlick, and the secrets beyond the work of famed paranormal investigator Harry Price. Tune in for a fascinating conversation that uncovers the mysteries of the supernatural world with John West.

About John West

John West was born in London. He is a film producer, actor, and author of books and articles on history, crime, ghosts, and folklore. His first book on British ghosts - Britain’s Haunted Heritage - was published in November 2019. Two new titles, Britain’s Ghostly Heritage and The Battle of Gainsborough 1643 followed in 2022.

As a journalist, John currently writes for Psychic News and Suffolk and Norfolk Life. His features include celebrity interviews and investigations into famous hauntings from the

UK and beyond. In 2018 John teamed up with the director Jason Figgis. He became a producer/publicist on the film, Simon Marsden: A Life in Pictures, before going on to produce and act in Figgis’ M.R. James-inspired chiller The Ghost of Winifred Meeks. They went on to form Figgis-West, a production company with John co-producing Figgis’ The Grey Man, Clare Island, The Wedding Ring, In Our Day, Mythmaker: George A. Romero, The Black Widow, and Dunkirk 80.

From 2021 to 2023 the team made four documentaries, Maverick, Shirley Baker: A Life Through a Lens, The Life and Work of Colin Wilson, and Love? John wrote the narration for Shirley Baker and contributed material to Colin Wilson. Many more projects are planned between the two, including feature films and documentaries on Dracula and Jack the Ripper.

Where to find John:

Website: www.johnwest.com

About CL Thomas

C.L. Thomas is a widely traveled fine arts photographer and writer, delving into afterlife research, out-of-body experiences (OBEs), metaphysics, and folklore. She lectures at various events and creates "Spirit" art upon request. C.L. is the author of the haunting memoir "Dancing with Demons" and the acclaimed historical-fiction novel "Speaking to Shadows." Additionally, she is the creator and host of the Small Town Tales Podcast. Her extensive writing includes numerous articles and a blog focusing on legends, folklore magic, and paranormal stories. Currently, she resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, with her beloved Golden Retriever and Maine Coon cat.

CL Thomas Website: www.clthomas.org

Sponsors:
Haunted Rock Island Roadhouse Paracon: www.xtremeticketing.com
OC Paracon: www.ocparacon.com
Eerie Expeditions Magazine: www.eerieexpeditionsmagazine.com
Mysterious Adventures Tours: www.mysteriousadventurestours.com

In this episode of "Small Town Tales Podcast," we are joined by Henry San Miguel, a seasoned media host in the paranormal field, to discuss the latest trends and fads surrounding the paranormal community. Henry shared his insights on the ever-evolving landscape of paranormal TV shows, highlighting how the genre has captivated audiences with its mix of suspense, drama, and alleged real-life encounters with the supernatural. We also delved into the boom and decline of TV shows and paracons—conventions dedicated to all things paranormal—and how they have become a hotspot for enthusiasts, investigators, and celebrities alike to share experiences and knowledge.

About Henry:
From the moment he experienced full-body apparitions in his room in December of 1977, Henry has had a fascination & curiosity about anything paranormal. Always the weird kid at school and in his family, he spent countless hours alone reading about ghosts, astral projection, Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, UFOs, aliens, and conspiracy theories (and has lived long enough to see many of those theories turn into fact).

In 1984, two big things came into his life: Ghostbusters and radio. Even though it was a comedy, the first Ghostbusters confirmed many things Henry had seen in real life and introduced some new concepts that have stayed with him to this day. Even more than Poltergeist did two years earlier.

A few months after Ghostbusters, radio came into his life completely by accident. He has been in radio as an air personality, "Voice of God" (station voice), talk show producer, production director, program director, operations director, and, ultimately, Talk show host. His nearly four decades in radio allowed him to meet and learn from psychics, paranormal investigators, and Art Bell from Coast To Coast AM, all influencing the sound of Paranormal Perception.

Where to Find Henry:
Website: https://paranormalperception.show/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ParanormalPerception
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paranormalperception2/?hl=en
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@paranormalperception
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/paranormalperception

About CL Thomas

C.L. Thomas is a widely traveled fine arts photographer and writer, delving into afterlife research, out-of-body experiences (OBEs), metaphysics, and folklore. She lectures at various events and creates "Spirit" art upon request. C.L. is the author of the haunting memoir "Dancing with Demons" and the acclaimed historical-fiction novel "Speaking to Shadows." Additionally, she is the creator and host of the Small Town Tales Podcast. Her extensive writing includes numerous articles and a blog focusing on legends, folklore magic, and paranormal stories. Currently, she resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, with her beloved Golden Retriever and Maine Coon cat.

CL Thomas Website: www.clthomas.org

Sponsors:

Haunted Rock Island Roadhouse Paracon: www.xtremeticketing.com
OC Paracon: www.ocparacon.com
Eerie Expeditions Magazine: www.eerieexpeditionsmagazine.com
Mysterious Adventures Tours: www.mysteriousadventurestours.com

For those who have listened to me on Small Town over the years, you know I always reference the Gateway Program, developed through the work of Robert Monroe and the Monroe Institute in Virginia. Monroe believed that by using specific sound frequencies and meditation techniques, he could leave his physical body and travel via a second body, or spirit body, to other realities removed from the physical world — places unbounded by time or death.

The Gateway Program is a series of audio exercises using frequencies, including binaural beat hemispheric synchronization exercises, developed by Robert A. Monroe to achieve expanded states of consciousness. Through these courses, I was able to dissociate from myself and connect with spirit beings from the other side through the combined hemi-sync frequencies and meditational exercises.

My guest, psychologist and author Candice Sanderson, joins me for this episode of the Small Town Tales Podcast to discuss her out-of-body travels, her experience with the Monroe Institute, and her book, The Reluctant Messenger: Tales from Beyond Belief.

About Candice Sanderson

In August 2013, Candice Sanderson began receiving messages from nonphysical realms, changing her pragmatic life as a psychologist. Since that remarkable transformation, multiple agencies have studied her newfound skills: researchers from the Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS) at the University of Virginia, the Institute for the Awakened Mind, Monroe Institute, and a Harvard study funded by the Bigelow Institute for Consciousness Studies (BICS).

Sanderson’s international award-winning books, The Reluctant Messenger, The Reluctant Messenger Returns, and her series of short books called From the Reluctant Messenger, chronicle some of her out-of-body travels and extraordinary connections with non-human intelligences.

All of her books have been #1 Best-Sellers on Amazon in multiple categories, and over 10,000 copies have sold across the globe.

Where to find the Candice:

Website: www.CandiceSanderson.com

About CL Thomas

C.L. Thomas is a widely traveled fine arts photographer and writer, delving into afterlife research, out-of-body experiences (OBEs), metaphysics, and folklore. She lectures at various events and creates "Spirit" art upon request. C.L. is the author of the haunting memoir "Dancing with Demons" and the acclaimed historical-fiction novel "Speaking to Shadows." Additionally, she is the creator and host of the Small Town Tales Podcast. Her extensive writing includes numerous articles and a blog focusing on legends, folklore magic, and paranormal stories. Currently, she resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, with her beloved Golden Retriever and Maine Coon cat.

CL Thomas Website: www.clthomas.org

Sponsors:
www.mysteriousadventurestours.com

In the first part of this episode Small Town Tales talks with the founder and CEO of Mysterious Adventures Tours, a dark adventure tour group that travels worldwide to explore the most haunted locations in the world. Maria Schmidt shares her insights on haunted travels and how it has changed her perspective on life. Maria has also founded the world’s largest ghost hunt & started recognition for the National Ghost Hunting Day in September.

In the second half of this episode, I talk about my book and personal story of Dancing with Demons. It has occurred to me that many of my listeners don’t know why I am into the paranormal. Join me as I share a little bit about my story and why I wrote the book.

About Maria Pons-Schmidt
Maria, throughout her childhood and later as a Registered Nurse working with gerontology and hospice, has always been inspired to explore supernatural myths and legends that influence cultural beliefs and traditions. In 2015, she published a website, Haunted Journeys, that catalogs distinctive historical destinations around the world that are said to experience ethereal phenomena and unexplainable activities.

In 2016, Haunted Journeys commissioned the certification for National Ghost Hunting Day, celebrated on the last Saturday of each September. Annually, on this date, thousands of stakeholders, and enthusiasts of the “other-worldly” field, gather globally to participate in the World’s Largest Ghost Hunt™ event, raising generous funds for historical preservation. In addition, it has also raised public awareness (and perhaps some acceptance) for the science of enigmatic wonders, within the realm of para-psychology studies.

With these treasured resources and experiences, Maria’s entrepreneurial spirit further took flight! In 2020, she founded a tourism company, Mysterious Adventures Tours LLC, based in Hamilton, Ohio, USA.

Coining a new travel category defined as “Supernatural Tourism”, Mysterious Adventures Tours LLC awakens curiosity for the unexplainable and esoteric. Maria’s creative itineraries bring small groups of vagabonds to locations that break the mold of traditional tourism. Their guests experience the enigmatic, spectral, spiritual, and even haunted legends in the most stunning destinations around the world. She is proud to provide, through this resilient curiosity for the mystery, a security that their history and culturally-bound legends will not be forgotten. For you see, “A haunting is history wishing to be heard.”

About CL Thomas
C.L. Thomas is a widely traveled fine arts photographer and writer, delving into afterlife research, out-of-body experiences (OBEs), metaphysics, and folklore. She lectures at various events and creates "Spirit" art upon request. C.L. is the author of the haunting memoir "Dancing with Demons" and the acclaimed historical-fiction novel "Speaking to Shadows." Additionally, she is the creator and host of the Small Town Tales Podcast. Her extensive writing includes numerous articles and a blog focusing on legends, folklore magic, and paranormal stories. Currently, she resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, with her beloved Golden Retriever and Maine Coon cat.

Host: CL Thomas
CL Thomas Website: www.clthomas.org

Where to find the Maria:
Website: https://hauntedjourneys.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GeisterMariaSchmidt
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hauntedjourneysllc/?hl=en


Sponsors:
www.mysteriousadventurestours.com
www.clthomas.org

When we think of hauntings, we think of places that are old, Victorian homes, abandoned asylums, old schools and jails, old bricks, old dolls, you see where I am getting at. But this isn’t always the case is it. How many investigators out there found that their most extraordinary paranormal experiences came not from the popular tourist attractions and haunted houses, but rather, from your own home or place where you least expect it?

My guest tonight has a story like my own in a haunting that occurred in an apartment building, and according to her book, Dark Side of the Apple, it was a real-life horror story that lasted nearly 28 years.

About Sabrina Marie
Sabrina Marie has 33 years of experience in the field of paranormal investigation, much of that time has been spent in research. Her investigative journey began at the age of 13, but she has communicated with spirits for as long as she can remember. Sabrina specializes in the tech department of her team, 2Realms, as well as cofounder and lead researcher/investigator. She is also an author of numerous books in multiple genres, along with being a photographer.

Where to find the Sabrina:
Website: https://2realmparanormalresearch.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2RealmParanormal/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2KBpzmPt5gNfmq-CY3XUrw

Host: CL Thomas
CL Thomas Website: www.clthomas.org

Sponsors:
www.mysteriousadventurestours.com
www.clthomas.org

One of the most profound spiritual trips that I have ever embarked on had to have been my trip through Transylvania. At the time, I was going through some spiritual changes, and the dark eerie atmosphere of Romanian spiritualism took hold, from the trek through the Carpathian Mountain sides exploring the very Castles where Vlad the Impaler was either imprisoned or lived, to the most haunted forest in the world there are many events that to this day stand out.

Along the way – I met some very powerful witches who live on the outskirts of Bucharest and experienced a small ritual performed at the legendary witch’s pond outside of Bucharest.

• Locals do not dare touch these waters because of the powers it is said to possess.
• This pond is small, more like an oversized puddle.
• It is said to be bottomless, in that anything thrown into the lake disappears – no matter how big the object is
• The cursed water is said to bring curses upon anyone who dares touch the water or take it.
• The water level never changes, even through floods and droughts.
• And most importantly, it is said that Vlad Tepes met his end at this pond and was beheaded. His evil spirit is believed to have been poured out into the pond –

One of the things I did during my journey through Romania was witness a gathering of witches at the Witches Pond for one of their ceremonies to appease the spirits. This witch’s coven is small but claims to be the most powerful in the world. Witchcraft continues to be used around the world for the collective greater good, and not in fact for evil – as is commonly believed. Thus, it’s no different than what prayer and good thoughts are supposed to accomplish.

About the Coven
Mihaela Minca and her witch clan family live in the town of Mogoșoaia on the outskirts of Bucharest. Here they practice their magical rites through a long line of generational gypsy witchcraft, dabbling into the murky waters of black magic for the greater good of their clients who seek them out in the hope of curing their emotional, physical, or financial ailments.

Where to find the Coven:

Mihaela Minca
F: https://www.facebook.com/vrajitoareamihaelaminca
I: https://www.instagram.com/mihaelamincaofficial/?hl=en

Casanndra Buzea
F: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010519757721
I: https://www.instagram.com/casanndrabuzea.official/?hl=en

Anda Mihaela
F: https://www.facebook.com/anda.mihaiela
I: https://www.instagram.com/andamihaela.official/?hl=en

Ana Maria Buzea
F: https://www.facebook.com/ana.buzea.9212
I: https://www.instagram.com/anabuzea44/?hl=en


Host: CL Thomas
CL Thomas Website: www.clthomas.org

Sponsors:
www.mysteriousadventurestours.com
www.clthomas.org