“No candles, no incense and if you damage anything, you’ll have to pay $150”, the woman told me matter-of-factly from her seated position on the other side of the counter. My skin was still wet from the pouring rain outside. I took in my prevue and noticed I was surrounded by a large variety of gemstones in small plastic bags, bottles of various oils and decks of Tarot cards.
The woman handed me my room key bearing the number 28. I thanked her and pushed my wheeled suitcase back through the entryway lined with quartz crystals. Climbing the dark wooden stairs, I passed a sign stating that paranormal investigation and/or filming was not allowed on the property without written consent from the owner of the hotel. Within only a few minutes of arriving to this tiny town, I realized Cassadaga is a different sort of place. And little did I know when I pulled into a parking space in front of Hotel Cassadaga during a thunder storm, what was in store for the next day and a half.
Cassadaga, the Seneca Native American word meaning “water beneath the rocks”, seems to be where all sorts of out of the box notions come together in harmony. In one day, you could walk with fairies, sit in a seance, ask for guidance in a labyrinth and even invite the devil for a visit. You also have your choice of healing through sound, through reiki and other body and chakra work. Cassadaga is also a place to learn and grow through palmistry classes, reiki classes, sound healing workshops and an Introduction to Tarot course. This quaint town seems to attract those wishing to connect with someone who has passed on, those searching for answers and those who want to push their boundaries a bit and those who indulge in their curiosities about the future. Seems like the perfect place for a bachelorette day trip!
It was exactly a week before my friend Karin’s wedding day and her friend Katy and I had planned a day of otherworldly adventures for the bachelorette. After Katy and Karin’s three hour drive from Tampa and my 35 minute trip from Orlando, where I had overnighted, we met at the Cassadaga Camp Bookstore, just across the street from Hotel Cassadaga.
Cassadaga Camp Bookstore
I’m not big on shopping, but the bookstore had lots of unique and varied items that were interesting to peruse. There was a large display of books about all sorts of philosophies, ways of looking at the world and healing properties. I saw a variety of statures, from fairies to dragons to angels to pharaohs. They had T-shirts, dream catchers, incense, candles, necklaces, gemstones and so much more. To my surprise, I left the store with a purple hooded shirt and a beautifully colored dragon statue. I could easily imagine it among my statue of Hindu goddess Kali, my statue of Mayan moon goddess Ix Chel, the Moai statue I brought back from Easter Island.
Picnicking with Cats
Void of even one vegan restaurant and no vegan-friendly listings on Happy Cow, Cassadaga is not vegan-friendly at all. For lunch, we decided on bringing a picnic which we enjoyed on the beautiful large porch of Hotel Cassadaga. Having spent the previous night in Orlando, I brought some delicious Puerto Rican food from the Earthly Kitchen. Having enjoyed their mofongo the night before, I looked forward to eating the two empanadas I had ordered: a lentil one and a sweet plantain. The others shared green grapes and the most flavorful strawberries I’ve had in awhile.
I enjoyed chatting with Karin and Katy as I listened to the rain falling softly on every surface. A friendly and curious cat approached us and we were told that her name was Gretel. It was then that I learned that Cassadaga is a feline-loving town with many feral cats freely roaming the area. Gretel and her daughter Shadow love to hang out at Hotel Cassadaga and can be seen curling up on a table or chair when not greeting guests.
I continued to hang out with Katy and Gretel when Karin had her 45 minute reading with a medium. When she returned smiling, we knew it was time for the next activity of the day.
Learning About Healing Through Sound
Sound healing workshop (link to Santa Fe post) 2-4pm with Jill: included an explanation of sound as it relates to frequency and how everything in the universe has a frequency including the earth, trees, animals, our organs, diseases, individual cells etc. Showed us some studies pointing to sound as a healing potential. I found it interesting that studies were done with the effects of the sound of a healthy heart beating in the operating room where surgeons were operating on patients’ hearts. And the results showed that those with the sound healed more quickly than those without. She began the session with a short meditation that was designed to effect the heart chakra and wow, did I feel it! The last 30 minutes of the workshop involved a group sound healing session. It was wonderful and reminded me of the very first sound healing session I had received in Santa Fe less than a year prior to visiting Cassadaga.
Experiencing the Fairy Trail
One of the draws to Cassadaga is the Fairy Trail and it is exactly as it sounds: a short trail through the trees with a fairy-like atmosphere. Trees were draped with colorful beads, little dolls and houses lined the ground and dream catchers and even a chandelier hung from above. This .2 mile loop looked like a fairy’s playground. I brought along colorful beads for us to add to the magical spot.
Adjacent the Fairy Trail is a labyrinth made of stones. If I had had more time, I would have loved to walk and receive guidance. I recalled walking the labyrinth outside the Grace Cathedral, something I always looked forward to every time I visited San Francisco.
Daring the Devil in the Cassadaga-Lake Helen Cemetery
When researching the area, I came across an interesting Cassadaga urban legend that fit the otherworldly theme of the day. Apparently, the Lake Helen-Cassadaga Cemetery contains mourning benches, one of which is called the Devil’s Chair due to some eerie paranormal activity surrounding it. Local legend says that if you leave an unopened can of beer on the chair overnight, it will be empty the next morning. The Devil is also rumored to appear to anyone that is bold enough to sit in the chair.
My friend Karin understandably didn’t want to risk it with her wedding only a couple weeks away. Kat felt dared enough to stand behind the chair, but was too apprehensive about actually sitting on it. Not surprisingly to some, I turned out to the be the rebel of the group as I stepped over the barrier and took a seat with “bring it on” body language. I would be very interested, in fact, in having a conversation with the devil, curious as to what he might have to say.
I’ve always seen the devil as a black sheep of sorts and I can relate. We were both kicked out of our house after all. Perhaps he would have some advice for me or I could simply offer an understanding ear. At the very least, he just might save me a seat in Hell, apparently where I’m going if the right-wing Christians are right about being gay. LOL
Being Entertained at The Shoestring Theatre
After perusing menu after menu of nearby restaurants online, I finally found two vegan entrees at The Table fifteen minutes north in Deland. To be honest, the meal was good, but nothing spectacular. After our meal, the three of us heading over to the famous Shoestring Theatre in Lake Helen to watch Alice @ Wonderland.
This modern retelling of Carroll’s classic children’s story was even better than expected. As an audience member it was difficult to go very long without laughing, cheering or applauding the performance. What a great way to end an excellent otherworldly day.
Overnighting in a Haunted Hotel
I said goodbye to Karin and Kat before they left for the 3 hour drive back home. I had decided to stay at Hotel Cassadaga curious about the haunted claims. The hotel, also considered a spiritual sanctuary, was built in 1928 after a fire completely burnt down the original building, which dated back to the 1800s. Today, is said to be haunted, perhaps by victims of the fire and by other mysterious deaths on site.
Knowing this, in the cover of darkness, I entered the hotel with my eyes wide open ready to notice anything unusual. I walked past the vintage furniture and under beautiful chandeliers in the lobby and up the wide staircase. A hallway lined with big mirrors led me to my room.
With the passing thought, “I wonder if this place is really haunted”, I heard an unexpected knock on door. My head turned and stared at the door frozen for a moment. “You left your phone in the car”, I hear my friend Karin say. Whew!
The rest of the night was uneventful and unless shotty internet was caused by a ghost, I experienced no signs of paranormal activity. I fell asleep to the sound of rain and thunder. It was soothing.
Getting my First Reading from a Medium
The following morning, I checked out of the room at 11am and relaxed on the porch with Gretel for an hour until my 45 minute reading reading with Misty, a medium who specialized in palmistry. I followed her upstairs to her office just down the hall from my room. Misty’s office was full of all sorts of spiritual items from crystals to dream catchers to spiritual images. In the center of the room, stood a small table flanked by two chairs. I was invited to sit in one of them. She set a timer.
I had signed up for a 45 minute reading and not surprisingly, our session began with her reading my palms. According to her, my palms revealed that I was an earth/fire sign. This combination meant that I “have a desire to travel and explore, but also have the need for order and schedules”. She told me that these two opposing forces are often at odds with each other and that it’s important to foster both of them.
Misty picked up a deck of animal cards, shuffled them and fanned them face down in front of me on the table. “Choose five”, she told me. She removed my selection from the deck and kept them faced down, revealing one at a time.
The first card was a lion. Misty said this cards is a reminder to me that I am stronger than I think, a message I have received often in my life, but especially since recovering from my divorce. Misty flipped over the second card to show a ladybug, which apparently is a symbol of luck. I definitely feel lucky in many ways. The mountain goat indicates the importance of balance in life, reiterating what she had said early to foster the needs of my fire and earth signs. My fourth card was a walrus and she told me that this was a reminder to notice the signs and omens around me. Little did I know then, that I would be eating lunch at a restaurant called The Walrus later that day. (Fantastic restaurant by the way, vegan and very LGBT positive!) My final card had an image of a polar bear. “This card is a reminder to stand up for yourself”, Misty explained. A great reminder indeed.
Misty did two Tarot reading with me: one regarding my immediate future and one targeting my romantic relationship. She told me that something would change with my job very soon and said that the cards indicated a financial event occurring in March of 2024. She said it was positive, “like a large purchase”, but that I could ease this transaction by saving more now. Misty also told me that someone close to me will pass away in the next couple of years. She said it would not be a surprise, but expected and I was quite confident about whom she was speaking. (Update: my job did change only a couple months later when I accepted a teaching position at a local college.)
The final five cards I selected were to indicate what was happening in my love life. The first thing she told me is that we are having trouble sleeping together. With Chrissy’s snoring, four dogs and my nighttime bouts of anxiety, this was absolutely true. Misty also indicated that a change was coming and that there was someone in our lives (perhaps a family member) who was causing issues for us. I do not know who this could be.
Misty’s timer went off. I asked her, “Should I marry her?”. She leaned back in her chair and said, “Yes, but not until you sort out the sleeping situation”.
Getting a reading was the perfect way to end my weekend in Cassadaga, as it left me with lots to ponder during my long drive out of town. I had decided to have the adventures in Cassadaga be the start of a two-week long road trip around the southeast of the United States. And so, I left the otherworldly town bound for Savanah, Georgia.
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