Brandy Stark

5 days ago | thegabber.com | Brandy Stark

This is the first part of two featuring before-and-after information sessions for a paranormal investigation. June is the time of weddings in churches and chapels across the world. While we may think of happy couples tying the knot, rarely do we consider ghostly guests at these ceremonies. But one church, the Unitarian Universalist located at Mirror Lake in downtown St. Petersburg, may host spectral congregants.

1 month ago | thegabber.com | Brandy Stark

The start of spring heralds many things: the return of humidity, crowds of spring breakers and, of course, the start of baseball season. This year is special for St. Petersburg: it is the 100th anniversary of Babe Ruth’s arrival in our little ‘Burg. Though he passed away in 1948, stories of his sports prowess, his generosity, and his wild ways linger on. According to some, so does his spirit. To get to the ghost stories, we need to start at the beginning.

Mar 18, 2025 | thegabber.com | Brandy Stark

March hosts St. Patrick’s Day, filled with leprechauns and saints. Patrick shares his holiday with Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, the protectress of cats (let’s hope that she looks out for Morris at the Gulfport Casino!). Then there is the Ides of March, the day that Julius Caesar was assassinated. This led to the uprisings that eventually made the Roman Empire. After the murder, some claimed that his spirit walked through the forum, dressed in a golden toga.

Feb 3, 2025 | thegabber.com | Brandy Stark

What better theme for February than the ghostly bittersweet love story. Here is the story of Thomas Rowe, founder of the Don Cesar, and the lovely Lucinda de Guzman, an opera singer. Thomas, the son of an Irishman, was born in Massachusetts in 1872. Intelligent and energetic, he went to London to study architecture. Supposedly, he saw the opera there, Maritana, a story about a street Romani person. He was quickly smitten by its lead singer, a soprano named Lucinda.

Jan 12, 2025 | thegabber.com | Brandy Stark

I am a paranormalist in my 27th year of exploring the supernatural world. My interest in lore and legends started when I was an undergraduate at the University of South Florida. Three graduate degrees (Religious Studies, Humanities, and Liberal Studies), plus a doctorate later, I still find this subject matter endlessly fascinating. I founded the SPIRITS of St. Petersburg, the longest running paranormal team in the Tampa Bay area, in 1997.