Surfing the Tao

[Inspired by Aura at Encounters with the Unexplained]

Hawaii is a gorgeous place to live, most would agree. The weather is unbeatable, the people are full of aloha and the beach is always close by. I suppose some might say it has its downsides too – things tend to be more expensive, and it always takes longer to get things done because most people would rather be playing than working.

Whether Hawaii’s legendary creepiness is a downside or not depends on your point of view, but unless you live here you might not be aware of all the strangeness that goes on – and the blithe, casual way people live with the phenomena. It’s just part of life here, given the diversity of cultural influences regarding the spirit world and its pervasiveness in everyday existence.

The first experience I had was talking to the rocks. It might sound strange but since then I’ve heard such stories from many, many people here. Pele, the volcano goddess, has created a virtual army of bizarre lava rock formations that often seem to contain faces and shapes, and in the right state of consciousness you can hear them whisper their wisdom. What they told me was scarier than hearing their voices: they have been here for a very, very long time, waiting; but that time is now short. Later I picked up the great book Obake File: Ghostly Encounters in Supernatural Hawaii and a shiver went down my spine when I read the chapter on the rocks. Witnesses account that giant rocks, said by local shaman to contain demigods, have gotten up and moved on their own. Supposedly the great god Kane lived in a famous rock in Pearl Harbor until the day the monarchy was overthrown by the US government on January 17, 1893, when it abruptly disappeared.

We get spirits, too; a lot of them. All locals know about the Nightmarchers, and if your house is located on one of their ancient trails, you’re in for some trouble. I’ve heard people tell about seeing an army of ancient Hawaiian apparitions marching through their living room on a full moon. Rumor has it people have actually had houses moved out of these paths. Whenever anyone builds a house or starts a business they always have it blessed in Hawaiian – whoever you are, spiritual or not, this is simply the way it’s done. Don’t tempt the local spirits – trust me. We have to periodically cleanse and bless our own home – not that they’re evil, but they do seem to grow in numbers and they eventually start to irritate my husband, who can see them much better than I can. They try to hide in the mirrors but we’re hip to that trick.

The most astounding experience however has been the fairy lights. I’ve read similar accounts of people seeing strange colored globes of light flitting around various places, all over the world, in fact. There are certain places in Hawaii they simply abound, especially during a full moon for some reason. Initially they like to pretend they are emergency trucks in the distance – until you realize 1) there is no road out there or 2) they suddenly all spin into a circle and blink in patterns. The locals call them ’akualele’, or fireballs. My husband has had many, many very close encounters with them, and is convinced they are conscious in some sense. They have come within 10 to 15 feet of him, and he describes them as, “spheres about the size of basketballs with spun glass inside (angel hair, like for Christmas), all lit up but changing colors rapidly, red, green, blue, orange, yellow, purple.” He said when he laughs, they light up brighter and bounce up and down a little as if they’re imitating him. The most incredible story involves an outing at one of these more remote places with our teen-aged nephew, who had gone hiking away a few miles and as it got dark my husband began to worry when he didn’t return to his calls. He began to yell louder and louder, when he saw one of the lights speed off away from him. Our nephew returned later to say one of the fireballs had screeched up right next to him whereby he heard his uncle’s voice loud and clear, calling for him, at which time he turned around and headed back the approximately two miles he had walked. The light they emit is strange, and when photographed one can see the different light spectrum. Though difficult to capture and then interpret, here are a few shots they managed to get. My own spirit tells me they are just curious thought forms; some kind of earth spirit or perhaps they are peering at us through vast distances of time, space or dimension.

Since moving here six years ago I’ve fallen in love with this place, this island, this Hawai’i. Its beauty and energy both bring me solace and nurture my inspiration. If you are in Hawaii or ever plan to visit, take some time for a supernatural tour of its legends and mysteries. You won’t be disappointed.

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Tags: Hawaii, fireballs, Nightmarchers, ghost lights, supernatural //