It was 3am at the Metropole Hotel in Saigon when a crash of broken glass jolted me from my sleep. I tip toed cautiously into the bathroom to avoid stepping on shattered shards to see what happened. There was no reason for the heavy glass shelf to fall off the wall, which is why I deduced that an angry ghost had tried to get my attention. The next morning I showed the manager the damage before I checked out so I wouldn't be charged."Are there ghosts in this hotel?"  I asked.

I have asked about ghosts in my room before. Thirty years earlier in a French Chateau, I witnessed my first paranormal sighting. Floating in the corner of the room was a 'party' ghost wearing a three-pointed hat holding a pewter beer mug.It scared the crap out of me. Now it mostly annoys me. The Metropole manager assured me there were no ghosts and that's when my back pocket button was yanked off by an unseen force. The ghost got my attention and I couldn't check out out fast enough. 

I brought the angry old Vietnamese ghost home with me and he was fascinated by computers. He woke me every night for a week to roam the internet. Exhausted from sleepless nights, I couldn't take it anymore and hired my spiritual guru to send him back to the light. 

Every once in awhile I get "splashed." Meaning that doing this type of work opens me up to all sorts of energies both good and bad so I have tools.

• Dragon's Blood Aura Cleanse spray clears hotel rooms of everyone's energy who's ever slept there before as well as lingering spirits. I used to travel with DBAC candles but dropped the hot votives on a hotel carpet and red wax splattered everywhere. It looked like a murder scene, so now I use the spray.

1. Overgrown gardens and neglected yards are spirit magnets. Earth energies are called "Elementals" like fairies and gnomes. Sometimes they hold negative energy, especially if a death took place at any point in time near the property. 'Party houses' known for over indulgence of alcohol and drugs also draw in negative entities. Maintain the exterior of your property, don't be the "creepy house" on the street.
    
2. Buying a home from someone who has passed away, can be a good deal. You also take on their energy. For Realtors listing a property where the owners have passed away can be challenging. I suggest a thorough Paranormal Space Cleansing which may require high-level magic of a Pentagram Ritual (call me, I have an associate I've worked with for 20 years.) Death on the property also holds in grief issues and you can find yourself sad for no reason. 
    
3. Children under 7 are most affected by lingering spirits. If your child is sensitive and fears monsters under the bed or in the closet, make sure their bed has room around it and nothing is being stored underneath. Keep closets organized and closet doors closed at night. Too much stimulation in decor can also scare little ones. Arm them with their own bottle of DBAC spray and tell them to claim their room, "You are not invited, this is my room." It works. 
    
4. Antiques hold energy from other times and other people. Airing them out helps. Some people like to smug using burning sage. I used to use sage all the time, but the go-to for experts is Dragon's Blood, Aura Cleanse, John the Conqueror, or Dragon's Fire. Never use them without consulting an expert (I have these in incense and in candles and will show you how to work with them.)
    
5. Houses located near a church or graveyard is an invitation for the paranormal and sadness in general. Churches have happy times, but they also have funerals and sad times. A deal breaker is a house located by a church or cemetery. Some people are not affected, but for those who are sensitive you have to be extra careful where you live and work.

Namaste,