The inaugural New Orleans Paracon held at the Crown Astor Hotel brought together the top mystics, ghost hunters, Voodoo practitioners, and more for an edifying and educational weekend. All the way from Pennsylvania, the Gettysburg Museum of Haunted Objects had a display of some of the spooky and sinister pieces of their collection. Everything that makes its way into the museum is tested off-site for "attachments." Objects with readings for supernatural activity are displayed, possibly under secure measure. A demon-attached Iroquois bead is more haunted than a human-skin decanter. From the Gettysburg Battlefield, a scarred amputation board is allowed to be touched.
Local vampires and vampire culture enthusiasts Father Sebastiaan, Papa Zaar, and Marita Woywod Crandle discussed how various types of vampires get along in real life: drinking blood from donors safely, how energy vampires feed on ambient energy, and how to be ethical about it. The Native American panel was a course in how Elementals differ from spirits and how they can be worked with, if willing.
Hailing from Voodoo Authentica nearby, Mambos Brandi and Maggie and Cajun Voodoo Priest Houngan Jesse explained how Voodoo traditions traveled from Africa and mixed with Catholicism to form a New Orleans-style Voodoo. Fearless souls took part in extracurricular activities including ghost hunts, learning how to develop their psychic abilities, and dealing with the dead. New Orleans Paracon is a magical event that we hope returns next summer.
