Rod,
i completely identify with that feeling of disappointment - from a young age I’ve frequented those same places with similar aspirations; from ‘twaggin’ school alone in graveyards; knocking on church doors (south first; then the devils door to the north, other times) and then running clockwise (anti clockwise other times) - and no devil tripped me up!; 13 times around the witches tree at the stroke of midnight (in boggy marsh) and was not struck down; and a youth full of ouija boards: and nothing.

I did have a perhaps a strange experience with tarot. . . Doing my own readings (which you’re not ’supposed’ too) - once, during a dozen consecutive attempts, i noticed one card in particular, was in the same place (the ‘me, as i am and will be’ place as i understood it!) what did it tell me? Nothing I’ve not always known! ( the hermit).
:-)
so for me; the lack of experience to the contrary suggests ‘belief’ is a matter of choice or a leap of faith. I don’t seem to easily accept ‘convenient’ answers. . But Then maybe that’s the problem with the logic of a scientific mind - we never reach that heightened awareness necessary to perceive things; feeling comfortable in these places perhaps doesn’t help with that - minds and eyes dilated (with fear or expectation perhaps) may be more open to seeing things out of the ordinary.

Whereas calm, detached and unexpectant observators with scientific reasoning are more likely to logicide our experiences.

Rod, I’d say we are equal in our affinity with nature - maybe you should camp there, if you haven’t already. . Could be the difference!

All the best
ever, Em

I’m open-minded but also logical so some things seem far more likely than others, that said it’s dangerous to theorize with sufficient data !

I can’t help but think carving wood in an ancient historic woodland must be one of the ultimate ways to get taken back to a time of old - what could be more in keeping and in tune with what’s passed there before - a beautiful thing . . .
Regards,
Rod

I’m a little torn on where this comment may be best to placed, because it relates to both local folklore, belief in the paranormal and possibly the said Black/White ‘Lady of Bradley’!?!?!

I share a similar standing point to belief as you on the matter of ‘belief’… as you said in t’other article:

“I was discussing this a few weeks ago and said I would need proof in order to believe, the reply I got was . . .
But you can’t prove there are no ghosts or that those people who’ve seen them are lying or mistaken !
I’ve never understood this argument, it’s much like those who say ‘You cannot prove there isn’t a God’ - of course you can’t . . . It’s impossible to prove a negative !”

For me, the challenge of “if there is a God;Prove it!” can ever be counteracted by “Prove there isn’t a God!” - i haven’t met anyone yet who has proven either to me! And i have at times, explored the avenues of belief and theology and have been fortunate in meeting a wide range people with a variety of beliefs…

As you said …. “Surely in a logical world the onus of providing proof falls upon the person making an extraordinary claim ?” Definately in a scientific world. But in law, which is similarly a process of logical reasoning, in many legal cases; the burden of proof can fall on either party, it is entirely dependant on the circumstances upon which it has arisen; the nature of the case.

I’m incredibly wary of people who would seek to convince other people to believe in something, as much as i am wary of people who would seek to challenge someones personal beliefs! i believe, the only true freedom we may ever truly own is the freedom within our own minds and i think that, ownership cannot be assumed - how many of us are brainwashed as children, by armchair potitician parents?!
Also, In the words of Bernard Shaw “it is easy, terribly easy, to shake a mans faith… but to do so, is the Devils work”.

“I would rather create my own system than be controlled by anothers” (bit of William Blake now - oh my, Mr Collins you have led my thoughts astray!

Anyway… back to the Black lady! (sorry for the detour)

I’d been carving for a year or two when i camped in the Bradley/Dixon wood ‘area’. I love the woods; the sanctity of the canopy is more of a home to me, than a cage of bricks and mortar. Especially broadleaf woodland - oak, ash, birch, hazel, wood anemone.. are in abundance. During my second nights stay i had a dream. . . in it, i was in the woods and remember feeling sadness and desolation - a woman appeared from around the tree’s - we spoke for some time and tho’ i cannot recall the words exactly, it was of life, the world and my place in it - she said i should continue carving and sharing my learnings of the wild and that everything would be ok if i carried on. As she turned away from me, i saw that instead of hair, it was instead strips of birch bark.

I didn’t hold any significance to it - i’d already made the decision that carving wood was ‘what i would do with my life’.

A couple of years ago i was reading about the Living Wisdom of Tree’s - and their interpretive characteristics and associations ie willow is associated with ‘the moon’ and is said to have feminine qualities… it was then i discovered that The Silver Birch (betula pendulla) had a lot of folklore surrounding it… and is also known as the Lady of the Woods!!

She’s certainly inspired me with ‘a few’ of my carvings

Always,
Em

Maybe it was on a walkabout.

I only know of one death in that building and that was long after my sighting.

P.P