In Search of Ghosts and Goblins - Bar Monet

Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition. While we celebrate it today with fabulous costumes, parties and going door to door asking for candy, the early days of this secular holiday is said to have originated as a darker Celtic custom where bonfires would be lit and people would dress in costumes to ward off roaming ghosts. This custom occurred during a timeframe where people concluded their fall harvest to prepare for the “dead” of winter. This annual fall celebration of “All Hallows Eve” would give way to new customs by the Catholic Church in 609 A.D. in honoring martyrs, saints and souls on November 1^st and 2^nd.

The idea of ghosts and goblins wandering the neighborhoods isn’t lost on us today. Every year we see them in all shapes and sizes prowling the street and asking us for tasty treats. The children recreate those ancient customs happily, but what about real ghosts? Are they any more active on Halloween than any other time of year?

The answer to that question is a mixed bag from most ghost hunters. Some will say that the energy level is higher and prime for more activity and others will say that it hasn’t been proven to be any more active than any other night during the year. Others also believe that the new moon and the full moon also contribute to the amount of paranormal activity that is experienced on a given night. So if you believe that Halloween and the Full Moons are the most active time, Halloween 2012 will be the real test! Next year, we will see the moon at its fullest (98%) on Halloween. Perfect for ghost hunting!

The PIC Team (Paranormal Investigators of Cincinnati) had the opportunity to investigate the Bar Monet at 837 Willard on a very early Saturday morning in October. Employees of Bar Monet have seen very strange occurrences over the years so they were very anxious for us to come and spend some time there. We were fortunate to have our medium, Dan Dunham with us that morning. Dan always provides invaluable insight to our investigations and that insight allows us to get a better idea of how to conduct our investigations. On this morning, Dan picked up the presence of two spirits at Bar Monet – one male and one female. Both spirits were very quick to move away from us as we investigated each area of the bar. After all, this was the first time that their “peace” was being intruded upon. We were actually talking to them and not to each other!

After spending about two hours at Bar Monet, we sat down and reviewed eight hours of audio and dozens of digital photographs. We were pleasantly surprised to find that one of our digital images picked up a face in the background of the bar. The image is in the distance and a bit grainy, but you can pick up the features of a squared jawed man with a mustache. His head appears to be peeking out behind a curtain near the men’s restroom. Our audio recordings of Bar Monet did not disappoint either. We picked up two EVP’s that appear to be speaking in the background and not in direct response to our questions. Sometimes EVP’s can be gathered as you are carrying on other conversations and not when posing questions to the spirits. Some say that these conversations may be “residual” – meaning that it is contained energy that is repeating itself over years or decades of time. Think of it as a film loop that keeps repeating itself.

The spirits at Bar Monet seem to be pretty content in living amongst those who frequent this bar. They are having some fun with the employees and patrons when they fling a few glasses and turn on the jukebox, but this is their way of reaching out beyond the grave and mingling with the Covington natives of today. Far removed are the days where old Celtic traditions drove away roaming ghosts. Nowadays, the lines of communication with the dead are open and embraced by the willing spirit seekers who are unafraid to attempt to communicate back with them.

Special thanks to Robbie Howard for spending time with us at the Bar Monet for this investigation!