Messy In The Beginning: Tales of a Reluctant Psychic Medium

Sterling Moon literally wrote the book on how to be a medium, despite her reluctance to embrace her gifts.

Episode Summary

What is it about the West that makes it so big, and so haunted? Today, we speak with medium and author Sterling Moon who shares stories from haunted saloons, spirit-inhabited row houses, and a community park where they removed the headstones, but not the bodies.

Have you ever seen some of the things Sterling has encountered? Listen and find out, today, on Homespun Haints.

AI-generated transcript of this episode available upon request.

About the Guest: Sterling Moon

Tarot reader, folk magician, animal communicator, published author, podcaster, educator, and reluctant psychic medium Sterling Moon lives in Denver, Colorado. She offers classes at Ritualcravt in Wheat Ridge, CO. You can sign up for her newsletter and book a tarot reading with Sterling at sterlingmoontarot.com.

You can purchase the book Becky raved about in this episode, Talking to Spirits: A Modern Medium’s Practical Advice for Spirit Communication, from Llewellyn Books or your local bookstore.

Episode Show Notes about How to Be A Medium

What is a spirit house?

One of Diana’s favorite spooky science fiction books from childhood was The Spirit House by William Sleator. In the book, a tween boy builds a spirit house to welcome his family’s Thai exchange student. The house entices a dark spirit to follow the exchange student across the globe, to collect his debt on the collateral of the secrets he thought he’d left behind.

That was back when you could outrun your secrets geographically, of course. Today’s global interconnectedness makes such concepts somewhat obsolete now. If you live your life online, your reputation proceeds you wherever you go. What a time to be alive.

How would a medium use a spirit house?

That’s obviously not how a spirit house is intended to function. The concept of spirit houses varies greatly across cultures. But the general idea is to give a spirit a home so it will stop cohabitating yours. This could be as complex as a perfect miniature replica of your house (for stubborn deceased former homeowners) or as simple as a shiny glass bottle (because everyone loves shiny things). The vessel isn’t nearly as important as directing your energy to making a home.

A spirit house is entirely different from a ghost trap, as Sterling describes in this episode. The house is intended to be enticing, not restricting.

What is a mimic sound?

When Sterling heard an ongoing beeping noise from her empty basement, she thoroughly questioned neighbors and investigated the space. But the noise remained stubbornly unexplained. In this episode, she wonders if it might have been the earth elemental spirit down there mimicking a smoke alarm battery warning.

The Haunted Buckhorn Bar in Laramie, Wyoming

Sterling tells us a story about this former brothel turned dive bar where a random intoxicated (and possibly possessed) woman encouraged Sterling to pursue her true love, and Metallica got booed off stage in the early ’80’s. There may be a portal, and in Sterling’s words, it is haunted as hell. We don’t hear much about haunted Wyoming, and it piqued our interest. In a state founded on hookers, beavers, and squirting, we figure there should be some mighty fun stories.

Are you a medium or wondering how to become one?

Do you think you might be a medium, and want to know how to get better at spirit communication? We think you’ll really benefit from Sterling’s how-to book, Talking to Spirits: A Modern Medium’s Practical Advice for Spirit Communication. She sets out very practical steps in a fun format. If you read it, let us know what you think in our Facebook group at facebook.com/groups/homespunhaints.

Have you built a spirit house, fallen down the stairs at the Buckhorn Bar, or, you know, just seen a ghost in any context? Apply to be a storyteller on our show, so we can both have a spooky day!