My selling plans for the Goldstein Collection
To wake up without the alarm-clock’s buzz is quite an experience. I really recommend it to everyone. Add to it a slow-paced breakfast and the satisfaction is complete.
But lets talk about the collection… I’ve spent this past weekend delving into my grandfather’s treasure, re-organizing it and thinking about what would be the best way to trade this fascinating paranormal bonanza. After meditating for several hours, I finally decided to sell each object separately. This kind of “retail” solution will allow me to show the collection in its fullness, adding to www.goldsteincollection.com the following feature (which, by the way, was this site’s original purpose): to serve as a gallery for the quintessential assortment of haunted artifacts and mystical paraphernalia that Goldstein had gathered during his lifetime. In that sense, the “one at a time” plan is ideal since it will give me occasion to gradually tell here each object’s own curious story -and post along some pictures.
While I was surrounded by these amazing items I realized the huge sentimental value of this collection as a whole. And, of course, I won’t even try to hide that fact. There is also an enormous amount of sorrow involved in this idea of selling it. But freedom is more valuable than any material possession, and that is something Goldstein would agree with; the idea was his after all.
I’m a free man again
I quit my job today. It was a risky move, but I’m far of being regretful. The time had come for me to move along and advance; regardless of the direction, the secret is to be in motion and remain in motion. Isn’t this Newton’s first law, after all? I’ve spent three years in a row stuck in that office, feeling just plain miserable. But no more. This morning I’ve submitted my resignation letter and believe me that I feel now diaphanous as a ghost. There are still some legal issues which require to be solved, but the sensation of freedom is complete (and priceless).
To follow my grandfather’s commandment was not an arduous decision. Anyhow, I hated this blood sucking job and, obviously, I had no great desire to evaluate the situation. Yesterday was my last awful day at work and, while my body was physically confined in the office, my mind was already here, at home, engaged with Goldstein’s last surprising commission.
For good or bad this is the beginning of something new. I’m excited and expectant like a prisoner that have just broke free. The impact of this decision is still unmeasurable. Will see what strange opportunities the fate will bring.
A life-changing request
This is way too much. After my grandfather’s last manifestation I couldn’t sleep at all. I stayed awake the whole night, squeezing my mind with so many questions. I’m not worried but I should say instead that I’m a little bit… hmmm… perplexed. Piazzolla’s music helped me to slow down a little, but my thoughts were bumping inside my head as a compass’ needle in the North Pole… I was lost for sure.
I wasn’t really awaiting another thrilling entrance, not at all. But finally there it was again. Five minutes ago Goldstein’s voice fractured the white noise and sentenced the most unexpected request:
“Sell the collection”.
Well, what to say? That will sure defeat several dilemmas with whom I struggled during the night. It was like if my grandfather knew which were my main questions: how to subsist without my full time job income.
To sell the Goldstein Collection…
This is crazy. But why am I smiling, then?
Amazed with recent EVP
Oh lord… I don’t know where to start and I can’t believe I’m going to write this…
Goldstein was here a couple of minutes ago. I was visualizing Internet videos, straying myself in YouTube’s massive archive. By the way, my goal still seems too far, almost unreachable: to find a lost footage that will reveal those dark aspects of my grandfather’s passing. The vintage Spica radio was On at that moment, pretty much as always. When, without any warning, I heard the voice (this time loud and crystal clear):
“Quit your job”, said Goldstein with a truly assertive emphasis.
His entrance left me petrified. But I managed to ask dubiously: “Do you mean this whole video search?”. 30 seconds later arrived the answer I was precisely fearing:
“No”, and that was all, at least for the next half hour.
I’m still amazed while I scribble this post. Although I must confess that Goldstein’s advice seems to me appealingly insane.
Number Stations
I gathered with Angel Manoukian this last Friday night. A couple of days ago I invited him to come home to discuss about the nature of the EVP phenomena. I had some weird ideas on what I called the Supernatural’s Physics of Reception and I wanted to contrast them with the point of view of a specialist. In fact, I needed someone savvy enough to confirm (or deny) these eccentric hypothesis that assaulted me lately.
Angel arrived punctual at 22:30 and I served some quickly prepared vegetarian snacks. (Margin note: I’ve inherited a few splendid things from my grandfather, from rare books to his whole collection of paranormal artifacts, and I count the vegetarian diet as one of those inherited treasures. Some day I should tell here how come the eldest son of a ritual slaughterer -a shoykhet, in Yiddish- became a merciful vegetarian in his early teen years). We ate and talked in a very friendly mood, surrounded by the Spica’s white noise interference as our background music. Basically, our whole conversation swirled around Goldstein’s significant figure. We shared some of those great anecdotes of my grandfather and, in a curious way, that made me feel at peace. At least for as long as our dialogue lasted.
During our meeting, Manoukian revealed his latest project: at this moment, he finds himself analyzing the feasible paranormal sources of this yet unexplained phenomena widely known as “Number Stations”. These Number Stations are untraceable shortwave radio channels that carry cryptic messages, generally odd series of numbers and alphabets. Usually spoken by a female voice, the broadcast signals are being tuned worldwide from almost one hundred years back (that means by the time of the first human radio transmissions and the very beginning of the radio era).
Manoukian’s studies will lead him to travel, mostly to Europe and probably to India also. But I don’t know exactly to what purpose. He will be away for one month or so, though. It seems that Goldstein himself suggested to Angel to conduct this investigation; that was before his death.
Everybody’s paranormal quest?
Today my grandfather made an ill-timed and therefore kind off brief entrance. But after all, I’m happy for his much expected return. I heard his voice early this morning, just when I was about to leave for work. He sounded distant, drowned by the usual stream of white noise, as if he was lacking strength to cross over the interference waves.
First I recognized an acrid moan that captured all my attention. The source of this eerie sound was undoubtedly human, so I left what I was doing and approached to the Spica. I waited for a couple of seconds but impatience won me over and I asked (rudely, I must confess): “So which is the video and who’s the bald man? Why don’t you just tell me what’s this all about?”. His answer arrived without further ado…
“Because you are not yet prepared”, said Goldstein and then added this cryptic phrase: “No one is”.
I sighed while grabbing my backpack: “I have to go now. I’m already late, you know…”. I stayed one or two minutes longer, when my grandfather finally gave me his consent, or sort of:
“I’ll wait”, he announced in a very low tone.
I turned the radio off and headed to the street, baffled with my own thoughts. From the beginning I felt this odd experience as a rather personal crusade. But now, his mention of that plural “no one” makes me wonder: Could this be a collective pursuit after all?
Inklings of Prague
Moving forward on Prague’s direction, here’s the list of things that may caught Goldstein’s attention:
- Tycho Brahe’s grave. This famous astronomer, astrologer and alchemist was buried inside the Church of Our Lady in front of Tyn.
- Old Town’s astronomical clock. Some people consider that this fascinating mechanical work of art has foretelling magical power. There was (or still is) also a popular belief that the Orloj is cursed.
- The church’s towers. They were not built symmetrical (much in the Gothic fashion). It seems that one of them represents a universal masculine principle, while the other its complementary feminine. Solomon’s temple presented also this same esoteric design in its entrance columns named Jachim and Boaz.
- Solomon Molkho’s personal objects. Before he died, my grandfather mentioned to me that he was studying Molkho’s incredible life and works. The Jewish museum of Prague exhibits now some artifacts that belonged to this exceptional kabbalist.
- The Golem or anything that might be slightly associated with this legendary folktale.
- John Dee, Edward Kelley and Thaddaeus Hayeck, all of them of extreme importance in the History of Alchemy and the Occult.
These are the main topics that I can think of right now. As an Astronomy devotee and an amateur astrologer himself, Goldstein could have been attracted to the first ones, while his studies of Mysticism should lead me to investigate the last guesses on this list.
Someone asked me also if my grandfather knew Prague and if he visited its Old Town district. I know for sure that he traveled to the Czech capital at least once. It was in the ’70s, when he went there to meet some prestigious rabbi. He visited also the Altneuschul (The Old New Synagogue); the tradition affirms that the Golem’s remains still rests in its attic. So, yes, he had a first-hand impression of this quite enchanted city.
I want to finish this post with a comment sent by a distrustful reader. He asked me why don’t to ask my grandfather directly. If it’s true that he communicates with me, who better than Goldstein himself to disclose which was the hidden video and answer all my questions? I completely agree with this reader’s point of view… I already planned to interrogate my grandfather in his next appearance, whenever it will occur. I’m still waiting for a new manifestation. In fact, I’m writing now with the Spica on and the white noise interference at its full volume.
The video location was pinned down
My Internet connection went down for a couple of days. ¿The causes? Another enigma. I called my ISP’s Tech Support but they sweared they didn’t notice any signal loss, whatsoever. Anyway, in the meantime, I took advantage of this situation and used my time to listen to the white noise on my grandfather’s radio. I’ve meticulously gave ear to the vintage artifact’s static for long hours, and later, I even audited several passages of recorded material. Goldstein didn’t appear, though.
The connection was finally reestablished and, to my surprise, I found tons of emails waiting in my inbox. I decided to answer each and everyone of them before writing this very post. The messages were insightful and sharp, and provided some incredibly brilliant finds that will surely lead me towards the evasive YouTube video I’m looking for. This is a compilation of some wise hints and questions I received:
- Since the file description starts with “Bo” and the last part of the word in the poster hanging in the wall ends with “on”, the name of the place where the video was taken could be a combination of these two word units. Something like “Bon” or “Bo(…)on”.
- If my grandfather was emotionally attached to that place, the first guess should be somewhere in Romania, where he was born, or Argentina, where he lived since he was 13.
- The pictured building reminds a museum or some construction of cultural interest.
- The bald man has his stiff arms leaned forwards so he might be pushing something.
- The video is 36 seconds long, and the snapshot was taken in the 19th second.
- My grandfather wasn’t logged in (as far as I know he didn’t have an account for YouTube).
- The architectural details of the structures are very European or, at least, resemble those of European building design.
Several readers assure that the footage was shoot in the Old Town district of Prague. They recognized some important elements in the picture:
- The Church of Our Lady in front of Týn, you can see its towers in the small thumbnail at the bottom-right corner of the screen, where YouTube offers some videos related to the one you are seeing.
- The streetlights. You can see for yourself its astonishing similarity. Just compare both, the artifacts depicted in this photo with those in the snapshot that I took:
I think that, taking into account these two last evidences we can tell with accuracy that the Old Town square in Prague is indeed the location. I’m arranging a list of possible spots of interest that my grandfather could have had in Prague, which are quite a few.
I appreciate thoroughly all your supportive messages but please do understand that it’s impossible for me to answer them right away. Be patient, I promise I’ll get back to everyone. But keep in mind that I’m doing this in my always diminishing spare time. My full-time job is consuming all my energies.