Spirit Guide: Ghost of Christmas Past

GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST

Class VII Corporeal Entity

Also know as: The Spirit of Regret (alleged)

The Ghost of Christmas Present is a spirit which has been known to appear once a year on Christmas Eve. 

The spirit often takes the form of a small child, or an androgynous being which resembles an “ageless child” according to one report. This being is wrapped in a white shroud which seems to flow around it as if it is in water. If there are legs, they are not readily apparent, but regardless the spirit has the moves so fluidly that it either floats or has the appearance of floating. The ghost also emanates white light, ranging from a barely noticeable brightness, to utterly blinding in intensity.  

In terms of powers, there is some debate as to what the spirit can actually do. There are two prevailing theories, and depending upon the actual answer, the specter’s abilities can vary greatly.

The first theory, as advanced by Dr. A.W. Huntley, is that the spirit is not capable of physical feats, but instead draws its power by manipulating the subconscious of the person experiencing the manifestation. That is to say that the individual is taking a journey through their own memories guided by the Ghost.

The second theory would show that the Ghost of Christmas Past is in reality one of the more powerful spirits, as they have the ability to not only manifest extreme powers, but can also transfer those powers to another individual temporarily through touch.  The first of these abilities is the power of flight. It is currently unknown as to the limitations of this power, especially in regards to flight ceilings and duration.  The second ability is much more profound, and that is the ability to travel to the past of the person the spirit is in communication with. According to reports, there is no limitation to how long how far back the travel may go, as many report seeing events from their childhood. During this travel, however, the person is unable to interact with the past.

The most notable encounter occurred in 1842 when he appeared to Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge then told his tale of his appearance to his good friend Charles Dickens, who then fictionalized it into A Christmas Carol. In this particular instance, she was preceded in his arrival by another spirit, that of a presage (in this situation, appearing in the form of Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s deceased business partner.) She was then immediately followed by the Ghosts of Christmas Present and Future.

As far as is researched, there are no known weaknesses for this spirit, including the ability of this manifestation to avoid the usual precautions taken against the haunting of a locality. Given that it usually singles out a single person to convey a warning, the likelihood of those precautions succeeding in barring the spirit are low. However, since this ghost is usually present to provide a lesson or warning, it should not be considered especially threatening. Manifestations are often an hour or two at the most, with no ill reported effects from the visit. Therefore, the Ghost of Christmas Past may be considered mostly benign.