In the last couple of years of my investigation career, I have become known as the nerd that does experiments. This doesn’t hurt my feelings as it’s true. I am typically the only one with a notebook out and taking notes at a new location, creating EMF maps, and thinking about debunking equipment via at home experiments. In 2018, when my team visited an area of land used regularly for pagan rituals, I stumbled upon an interesting scenario that begged for an experiment. 

We had been invited to spend the evening investigating a 160 acre, forested property that contains a main house and several ritual spaces. Our main focus was to be the house as investigating outdoor spaces is incredibly difficult due to the amount of environmental contamination that can be experienced. 

As the evening wore on, the team moved out into the ritual spaces and made attempts to connect with the spirits the property managers claimed interacted with them during their spiritual activities. Later review of audio would uncover a few interesting EVPs but nothing solid that couldn’t be argued with “we were outside”. Then someone suggested we finish the evening at the furthest set circle along the small rock road. This site is reportedly used to perform rituals that may include animal blood. Still considering it unlikely for gathering solid data, I agreed to do it just in case I can capture something interesting on camera. 

The team, along with two of the local witches (their term, not mine), went out to the circle. We used several stones around the circle to set-up equipment such as EMF, K2, REMPods, and a Mel-Meter. I stood back with a camera to record the event and the witches took off their shoes as they started to move around the circle. They began to sing as though they were starting a ritual and as they sang, they taught the team the song and we began to join in, many dancing around the circle with them. Suddenly, our devices started to react. The EMF readings were unbelievable and many of us stopped just to stare at the devices. The witches laughed and sang louder. This went on for some time and eventually the meters stopped reacting. Here are the things to note about this experience, we were in the middle of nowhere (think the boonies and banjo playing people). There was not a house in sight and while there was an electrical line running through the property, (I was sure to note it as we went to the circle) it was far from our location. So what was causing the meters to react. 

According to the witches, it happened because they raised the energy in the circle. We packed up that night and I went home, my head filled with questions about how the human body could possibly manipulate the environment without a physical instrument in a way that changes the energy level of a space. Specifically, what could they do to cause enough movement in the electromagnetic field to be measurable on a device. This stuck with me for a while and grew in my head. I talked to my teammates and other investigators, all unsure what to make of the event. I decided there was only one way to settle it, we had to go back and do a full experiment. 

Fast forward to June 2019, I took a small team back to the same location with one of the witches and a plan. She had agreed to “raise energy” for our cameras and equipment. We set up multiple cameras and arranged several pieces of equipment in an area within the circle. The equipment was monitored continually via a video camera. Myself and another investigator were in charge of filming the event from a distance and moved outside of the circle to monitor the area. Earlier in the day, I took the opportunity to gather data regarding the EMF in the area and at the power line earlier in order to rule out any contamination outside of the witch’s work. 

Once we were set, one of the witches’ co-practitioners set a circle of protection around the workers and the singing began. After several attempts and much time, nothing changed on the meters. The paranormal team did it’s best to fade into the background so as not to disturb the practitioners but this did not change the effect. Energy was not moving. Finally, deciding that the experiment had failed, one practitioner took down the protection circle and in that moment all of the meters flared to life. The witch laughed and said, “they were outside and couldn’t come in!” The equipment reaction was short lived but the witch explained that perhaps the problem was that the spirits were trapped outside of the circle and unable to energize the work within. Of course, she had just introduced yet another experiment that we were not going to get to perform that night as the practitioners were tired and the team was getting eaten alive by bugs. 

So, can people move energy? I still don’t know. More experimentation is needed and situations have changed that I don’t currently have access to test this hypothesis. It is rare to come across magic workers who feel comfortable enough to allow their activities to be filmed and measured. I hope to someday get a second chance at this type of experiment but until then, I can only guess as to the reason our meters reacted in the way they did to our singing that night in September 2018. 

Until next time, Happy Hunting!