After a steamy session with her boyfriend, Brocarde always feels satisfied. But her bedroom partner is rather unusual – he’s a Victorian ghost whose name is Edwardo.
Brocarde first connected with the ghoul when he visited her one night and told her he loved her.
Eighteen months on and the pair have shared romantic candlelit dinners, games of chess – and plenty of action between the sheets.
But Brocarde now worries that Edwardo might be so infatuated with her that he may kill her, so they can be together forever in the spirit world.
Brocarde, a singer from Oxfordshire, says, “I’ve never felt such a strong emotional and sexual connection with another being before.
“Every time Edwardo is present, I feel an intense, burning sensation throughout my body.
“But he can be possessive, too. He hides my outfits if he doesn’t like them, and throws objects around the room when he gets angry.
“Sometimes I worry that I might have to exorcise him if he carries on with such bad behaviour.”
Brocarde says she’d always been sceptical about ghosts and ghouls – until she met Edwardo early last year.
She says, “Over the years, I’ve had a few strange encounters – I’ve seen shadowy figures out of the corner of my eye, or felt a room suddenly go really cold. But it was never enough to make me think seriously about the paranormal.
“But then, one evening, I was lying in bed unable to sleep. It was such a spooky night – there was thunder and lightning – and then, out of nowhere, I felt a warm sensation in my heart. I went all clammy and the feeling spread throughout my body, but the room was icy cold.
“I sat bolt upright, and reached to turn on my bedside lamp, but something grabbed my hand to stop me.
“Then I heard ‘I love you’ whispered in my ear. I didn’t just hear the words, I felt someone’s breath on my ear and felt a shudder down my spine. I was terrified, but as quickly as it happened, everything returned to normal.”
In the weeks that followed, Brocarde continued to experience the strange warming sensation in her chest before she began seeing the ghostly figure of a Victorian soldier.
She says, “I knew he was around because I’d see glimpses of his shape or the candles in my room would flicker.
“Then, when I was in his presence, I’d start getting visions. Images and information would suddenly come to me. That’s how I learned that his name was Edwardo, he was a 35-year-old soldier from Victorian times, and he died by falling down a well.
“The visions of Edwardo that came to me were of a devilishly handsome man with shoulder-length hair – he looked like a rock icon!”
Incredibly, their relationship soon turned sexual. She says, “I was lying in bed, and I could literally feel his touch all over my body. He’s given me incredible orgasms – and I don’t do anything myself to trigger it. Now, we have sex quite regularly – a few times a week.”
But Brocarde admits that Edwardo has a jealous streak. She says, “He’s quite temperamental, and when I question his existence or ask him to prove himself, he really hates it. He’ll blow out the candles and leave me in darkness.
“When I try to relight them, they won’t ignite, and he’ll just disappear – I literally get ghosted by a ghost!
“Once, I was trying to write a song, but because it wasn’t about him, he ripped the pages out of my notebook.
“And I’ve noticed that some of my more revealing or sexy outfits have gone missing. But I tell him that this behaviour isn’t acceptable. I wouldn’t put up with it from a lover who is alive, so I won’t put up with it from a spirit.
“But after his outbursts, I’ll notice love hearts drawn on my bathroom mirror after I’ve had a shower, which is his way of showing he wants to make up.”
But while she enjoys that Edwardo is a “dominant force”, Brocarde is sometimes fearful of him.
She says, “Edwardo is clearly quite possessive, so my biggest fear is that he will kill me so I become a spirit too and we can be together for eternity.
“I think if he starts to get too controlling, I might have to get an exorcist. But that would only be a last resort – each day, I’m developing stronger feelings for him, and I think I could be falling in love.”
Concerns aside, the singer hopes other people will become more open to finding love in the spirit world, just as she has.
She says, “Not a lot of people know about my relationship with Edwardo. I’m sure they’ll think I’m bonkers when I tell them I have amazing sex with my ghost lover! I haven’t even told my family about him yet.
“Many people are in relationships where their partner isn’t emotionally present – they don’t communicate well or value their needs. So I don’t think it’s fair to judge my relationship with a partner who isn’t physically present.
“I’m with a man who makes me feel great – the fact that he’s a ghost isn’t an issue.”
Spooky splits from phantom partners
‘Spirits are best left in another realm – mine made me ill’
Amanda Teague met 300-year-old ghost pirate, Jack, while lying in bed one night in March 2015. She told Closer they’d talk for hours and take romantic strolls along the beach. They even “married” at sea in front of Amanda’s family and friends, with Jack saying his vows through a medium. But shortly after, Amanda’s health began to suffer.
She had flu-like symptoms and was in and out of hospital. It wasn’t until a medium said Jack could be an evil spirit that Amanda realised he was the source of her ill-health. A Pagan priest did an exorcism and Jack was banished. Amanda’s health returned to normal and doctors were stunned by her speedy recovery. She says “I’ve learned my lesson – spirits are best left in another realm.”
‘I dumped my ghost after he partied with other ghouls!’
Amethyst Realm met her ex-partner, a ghost named Ray, while on holiday in Australia in February 2018. She revealed that they even hoped to have a “ghost baby” together. But two years later, Amethyst dumped her ghostly groom-to-be because he kept bringing other spirits into their home for all-night parties, where she suspected they were drinking and taking drugs.
She burned sage to cleanse her house and get rid of Ray. Now, she’s using what she learned during their romance to counsel other people in relationships with ghosts. She says, “I’ve had relationships with over 20 ghosts – I find I have a deeper connection with men from beyond the grave.”
This article first appeared in Closer in October 2021.