The Jester's Court Pub & Eatery, Port Perry, ON

I very recently took a trip with a friend of mine to the small town of Port Perry, ON which is located in Scugog Township roughly 45 minutes northeast of Toronto. A small, quaint town with a population of approximately 9,500 people Port Perry is a picturesque place of beauty complete with historical buildings and streets lined with beautifully kept Victorian homes.

Nestled on the shores of Lake Scugog, it is also home to the Mississauga First Nations People, this town boasts many shops and outdoor activities for all ages. Port Perry has its share of long time residents, both living and dead. When you enter the small town, you can't help but sense the history there, and Port Perry is no stranger to ghostly phenomena and other paranormal activities.

One place in particular is the famous Jester's Court Pub & Eatery, located on Queen Street just minutes from the Town Hall and just east of the waterfront of Lake Scugog. This historic house has been the victim of three town fires, the first one occuring in 1883, the second in 1884 and the third in 1901. Tragically, the house had burnt down on 2 occassions and rebuilt in the late 1800's on its original foundation and is the existing structure that still stands today. Upon entering The Jester's Court (which was formerly a fine dining establishment called The Murray House until it was sold to the present owners) one can't help but sense something about the place, a certain "character" or "aura" about it. We walked in through the front door and immediately sat down at the bar, ordering a couple of cold pints ~ my friend wanted to go upstairs and sit down but the look on the bartender's face told us that sitting upstairs was perhaps "not recommended". Hmmmmmm.

After spending some time sitting at the bar and chatting with the bartender, my friend finally piped up and decided to ask her about the resident ghosts in the pub. She was very apprehensive at first and told us that she has heard and felt things but has never seen any of the spectres that haunt the local pub and eatery. She was quite adamant about never wanting to see anything and I don't blame her one bit! Who would want to? (aside from people such as myself who are curiously intrigued and fascinated by the paranormal).

She told us of the most famous ghosts that haunt the building such as the little girl who is seen playing on the oak staircase that leads up to the second floor banquet area, and the elderly woman in Victorian Era Dress that will come down the stairs and move across the dining room as a full bodied apparation!! Incredible!! My friend and I decided to venture upstairs (to use the washroom) and as soon as we reached the top landing of the stairs on the second floor, the atmosphere changed! The air became heavy and there was a sense that someone was watching you; I immediately began to feel weak in the knees (which never happens to me!) and felt like I was invading someone else's space. We took a few pictures and then went to the bathroom, keeping an eye out for an apparition in the mirror (which is known to occur to patrons on occasion!).

All in all we had a great time there, and the food and staff are amazing as well! Further research and investigation into The Jester's Court Pub & Eatery is definitely on my list of things to do, but until such time, I will continue to visit this local haunt for a pint and a chill.

Sleep well.

The 11:11 Phenomenon ~ What Does It Mean?

First of all, let me just say that I am not a strong believer in coincidences ~ in fact, there are no such things as coincidences and I stand firmly by this belief. Everything that happens to us throughout our journey in life does happen for a reason. Having said this, I would like to talk a little about an amazing and also very fascinating occurrence known as the "11:11 Phenomenon".

Perhaps you have had this happen to you: you are somewhere (anywhere, really, it doesn't matter) and you all of a sudden have this urge to turn around and look at the clock, or your wrist watch, or cell phone or MP3 Player (you get my drift) to see what time it is and low and behold, the time you see reads "11:11am" (or pm). You then think to yourself, "Hey wait a minute, this is the third time this week I've seen this!" ~ or something to that effect.........has this happened to you at all? Does this happen to you frequently?

For quite some time now (years) I have personally been experiencing this 11:11 phenomenon on almost a daily basis and only now am I beginning to really analyze this and ask myself "what does it mean?" Even more so, "what is the meaning in relation to me personally?" After doing some research on my own into this phenomenon, I think perhaps I am beginning to grasp its true meaning and embrace its powerful grip on our universe.

According to some experts, "11:11" represents "change" that is far beyond the comprehension of most people, as many people are afraid of change ~ and that is a fact! I however, am not afraid of change and never have been ~ I welcome it, embrace it and allow it to help mould me into a better, stronger person on a whole. A form of personal growth so to speak. Anyhow, experts will tell you that our planet is currently in a state of ascension from the 3rd Dimension into the 4th Dimension and so on and so forth into the 5th Dimension. (Huh?) As I understand it, we (mankind & planet earth) are currently in the 4th Dimension which may help to explain many of the changes (some unexplainable and perhaps even supernatural) that have occurred and are occurring in this wonderful and vast world of ours ~ you can see and feel it and there is no denying it because after all, resistance is futile!

One expert on the 11:11 phenomenon goes as far as to say that we are currently mutating from our 3rd Dimensional human body into a 5th Dimensional Lightbody ~ it can be related to to the caterpillar that turns into the butterfly (but let me say that I really don't think we are about to grow wings and fly away, hehe). Now, you are probably thinking to yourself or asking yourself what this all means, right? And rightly so. To be honest with you, I am not quite sure myself but one thing I do know for certain is that it does represent change ~ and change is a good thing.

For those of you out there like myself, who have been experiencing this 11:11 phenomenon on a regularly occurring basis, it may mean that we have some sort of mission to accomplish within our lifetime. Honestly, who knows. What I do know is this ~ I am ready and willing to accept any change that is coming my way and will continue to harness and embrace in the best way that I can.

And so should you.

A New Year, A New Decade & A Higher Consciousness

I would first like to take the opportunity to extend to you all a very Happy New Year 2010 ~ one decade comes to an end and another begins; this should be looked upon as an exciting time full of new opportunities and challenges ~ I know it will be for me and many others.

I have very recently come to a realization that there truly is indeed a "higher power" or "another level of spiritual consciousness/awareness" existing within our vast Universe and it has been grabbing a hold of me over the past few months. Fascinating yet scary at the same time.

There truly is something greater at work on a global scale (as well as a Universal scale) and I am noticing this more and more as I talk to others ~ one can't help but notice this "spiritual" change occurring all around the world ~ one just has to turn on the news or read through various media to see what I am talking about. I know you know what I'm getting at here. Let me ask you this: have you met someone within the last 12 months that you immediately realize you have strong connection with? The kind of connection that is beyond the physical realm - purely spiritual, and yet very emotional? I have.

Just very recently I met an individual (I will keep this person anonymous in order to protect their identity) with whom I felt an undeniable spiritual connection, and I would be silly to dismiss or ignore it ~ rather I have embraced it as I tend to do with all new experiences throughout my life. I believe that perhaps my spirit guide(s) have made this possible (and I also believe that every person has one or more spirit guides that are always there to help show the way; you may not see them, or feel them as you would when someone is standing beside you in the physical, but they are nonetheless there. I truly believe this.

On another note, perhaps I share a connection with this person from a past life ~ again, I don't dismiss this notion. The vibes sent out to us by the Universe within which we exist are very powerful and intense at times creating a truly "paranormal" phenomenon. The world is changing, the Universe is changing, we are changing.

I was listening to an episode of Coast to Coast AM with George Noory a little while back and he brought up this same point - that something truly amazing is happening on a global and universal scale - mankind is entering the next level of consciousness as a species; if you don't see it, or believe it, just take a look at what is happening around you. What you discover may very well blow your mind, and I say this in a positive light! To embrace and accept change in life is to be able to take the next step forward toward true enlightenment and happiness ~ I do think that in order for us as human beings to be able to move forward to a higher level of consciousness, we must first learn to love ourselves and each other as well as learn from our history and past mistakes.

More and more people are beginning to realize that they have become more "in-tune" with what is going on in the universe ~ more and more people are harnessing their psychic abilities and connecting spiritually to something that is greater than what we know ~ think about it. Have you not felt a "change" occurring within your own life? I know I have, and to meet someone with whom I share this "connection" is one of the most incredible, exciting, terrifying and wonderful experiences all wrapped up into one big Christmas Gift so to speak; and it truly is a gift, and for this I am grateful.

To understand what I am talking about, don't go out looking for it. It will come to you when it is your time to experience it ~ though for some this does not happen until much later on in life. The Universe works in mysterious ways and when the time is right, you WILL know exactly what I am talking about. Still confused? Don't be.

It will all eventually make sense. Happy New Year.