“And God said, ‘Let there be light!’ And there was light. God, the inextinguishable light that can be darkened by no one… The unfailing light flashed – unseen by humans… and with it trailed the living spheres – the angels” (289).

We have been experiencing encounters with orbs (balls of energy/light not easily seen with the naked eye) here in this space since we first moved into this space in early 2016. In the earlier years, there was more hype around the orbs than there has been recently. It may be that the novelty wore off or that we have been keeping it a bit quieter to protect the sanctity of the space, but they are still here and are very much a part of our lived experience. The video included in this piece of the tour was taken from one of our security cameras a couple of days before our audio tour was opened to the public in 2024. The motion of the orb was strong enough to trigger a notification that there was movement in the building.

There are many skeptics who have offered rational explanations for the anomalies that appear in our photos and videos (in some instances it is simply dust or an insect) but more often than not, they are clearly supernatural.

Rev. Shanon began taking photos of the space with the intent of photographing the orbs following a supernatural incident that took place in the church building on a fall evening in 2016 with one of the board members at that time.  From that moment, hundreds of photos capturing orbs have been taken in this space with several different cameras, phones, and photographers.

Many have asked what we believe these spiritual experiences actually are – ghosts, spirits, angels? In response to these questions, Sterringer produced a small booklet in 2017, Celebrating Angels & Orbs: The Hildegarden. She concluded (after spending many hours in the church building and living for years on the property) that they in fact spirits and are primarily light-based. They bring a peaceful and healing presence. There are so many levels to creation that we do not understand. We cannot always experience everything that exists simply with our five senses. At times we need microscopes, telescopes, and cameras to see the energy world more clearly. For example, recently we have found that cameras help aid in capturing the brilliant colors of the Northern Lights that have been appearing over northeast Ohio. Using a camera has also enhanced our experience here with the orbs.

The Hildegard Haus is a thin space meaning the veil between heaven and earth is a bit thinner than in other spaces. It seems at times we are blessed with a glimpse into the heavenly realm with our experience of the orbs.  These sacred moments confirm that we are immersed in the Living Light and the work we are doing here is divinely protected (St. Michael’s wings illuminate our space).

In an ancient work dating back to the turn of the first century by Philo of Alexandria, he wrote:

“The universe must be animated through and through. In each of its primary and elementary parts encompasses the life forms that are akin and suited to it.  The earth contains the land creatures, and the sea and the rivers that are aquatic… and heavens the stars. For the latter are souls, divine and pure throughout for which reason they move in a circle the trajectory most akin to mind. The air too must therefore be filled with living things, though they are invisible to us, since even the air itself is not visible to sense. We ought not conclude, however, in as much as our vision is incapable of forming images of souls, that there are consequently no souls in the air, but they must be apprehend by the mind…”

Will you be able to see or experience an orb if you visit our space? Possibly. Their visibility depends on the disposition of the person seeking them. If your mind and heart are truly open to their presence, the likelihood of capturing one in your photo or video is much greater than if you come in expecting to see nothing.

Rev. Shanon often tells the story of a man who took photos in the space for over an hour and nothing appeared in his photos. When she entered the space, he made the comment that there were no orbs… what she had been capturing was dust on her camera lens. She asked for his camera and the first few photos she took were filled with orbs. This happened using the same camera he had been using for over an hour. He jokingly asked her if they were “manifesting from her fingers” and her response was “no, they manifest based on the energy in the room…”

St. Hildegard of Bingen lived her life guided by the Living Light. Our journey here has been guided by the Living Light as well.  In addition, we profess to believe in the presence of the Communion of Saints – the souls of those who have died before us. These orbs or experiences of highly charged energy could be angels, saints, or the souls of our loved ones. We do not really know what exists on the other side of the veil but what we do know is that this space is imbued with a greening energy so powerful, it is felt the moment one walks through the door.