February's SPIRITS with SPIRITS

GHOULA meets for cocktails in haunted places on the 13th of each month. “SPIRITS with SPIRITS” is a casual social gathering of regional ghost hunters and those that just like ghost stories. Open to all, from the curious skeptic to the passionate phantom pursuer. Make friends, and toast a ghost! Let's put the “Boo!” back into “booze.”

All those who attend will receive a free (square) G.H.O.U.L.A. button. If you already have one, please wear it so others can find you, without asking the staff about our group.

NOTE: check the bar's website about details concerning the dress code.

THE DATE: February 13th, 2013 (Wednesday)
THE PLACE:The Edison (at the bottom of the steps)
108 W 2nd St, Downtown,
(enter from the alley behind the building) (map)
THE TIME: 8:00pm - ?
(Happy Hour 5pm - 7pm)

THE GHOST(S):

So, if the popular image of "Heaven" is a peaceful environment high above Earth amongst fluffy white clouds, then it would seem "Hell" is the opposite. One could imagine Satan's domain as a dark, subterranean lair with giant industrial machinery and crowded with the damned (strippers, musicians, posers, etc). Strangely (or maybe not so strangely), this description also matches The Edison (Bar) in the heart of Downtown, under the Higgins Building. As if that weren't enough, the bar, itself, makes subtle allusions and references to Satan, and Satanism.

First of all, the bar's namesake, Thomas Edison, has long been rumored to be a Satanist, and theories of his Satanic connections can be found all over the Internet. Additionally, there is a large mural of Prometheus as one descends into the bar. Prometheus also has connections to Satanism and the Occult. Prometheus (generally depicted holding a torch or fire) in Greek mythology was an immortal that was punished by Zeus for tampering with the humans (possibly making him the inspiration for the Christian "Devil").

Likewise, one of the Devil's nicknames is "Lucifer," which roughly translated means the "bringer of light" not unlike the illuminated Prometheus. It is also thought that animal sacrifices, commonly associated with Satanism, started as a means of worshiping Prometheus (a ritual that Thomas Edison used to record himself doing with the then-new invention, the movie-camera). It should also be no surprise that the Edison Building, a couple of blocks away from this night club, also has artistic renderings of Prometheus at its entrance.

Anecdotally, in 1913, an anonymous prankster, took out an ad falsely announcing that the Higgins building was a refuge for any unwanted cats, a place where they would get good care. In the days that followed, people began dropping these feline creatures off in the lobby, until the building became over run with cats (also an animal associated with the Occult and Satanism).

Even if The Edison (Bar) is a recreation of "Hell," it seems that there is only one soul damned to spend eternity here. The staff says that the spirit of a well-dressed man seems to linger near the restrooms, and is seen most often late at night, after the bar is closed to the public. The identity of this man is a mystery, but there is an often repeated story associated with him. The claim is that before the basement (containing the original 1910 "power apparatus") was converted into a bar, is was flooded with water. When the dirty water was drained, a skeleton was found at the bottom. Were these the remains of the man that haunts the bar? No one knows how long those bones were down there.

So, come out to one of Los Angeles' truly underground bars, have a cocktail, .and check to make sure that well-dressed gentleman standing near you is really there .. if you dare.

www.edisondowntown.com/
(to read about last month's haunted location... )
(to see a map of previous SPIRITS with SPIRITS locations... )