I'm new to this site and new to the idea of paganism (grew up conservative Christian), but I think I need some help.  I moved into a new apartment about six months ago with three other girls who'd been living here for a year.  When I moved in, I noticed a strong energy in the kitchen that would follow me down the hallway to my bedroom.  I've always been able to feel things like that, and so I ignored it as best I could until last week when I was doing a Tarot reading for my roommates.  The presence from the kitchen/hallway was almost tangible and one of my other roommates noticed it and mentioned it.  Upon discussing things and paying attention this last week, we've come to the following conclusions:

1.  We have a fifth roommate.  We hear rustling in the kitchen and light footsteps down the hallway at ungodly hours (both when the other roommates are and are not at home).
2.  Our visitor is female.  We don't know why, but we know.
3.  She's a child.   I get a mischievous vibe (almost a delightfully wicked grin) from her whenever she's strongly present and, she's taken one of our other roommate's stuffed toys.
4.  She's well-behaved.  We've asked her to stop being so noisy and to stop following us down the hallway and she responded well.  We also think she stops at the hallway because it leads into what would have been the front parlor (where she might not have been allowed).


So, my question is, should I contact a spiritual medium or someone of the like to cleanse the house or should we just live and let haunt?  One friend of mine says that my tarot readings and exploring alternative (to Christianity) spirituality may have "woken up" our visitor, but I don't necessarily want to stop my spiritual discovery, unless it's putting myself or my roommates in danger.  Any advice (at ALL) anyone can provide would be extremely helpful.  Thanks, in advance!!

If you are happy with your little visitor, then I would say leave her alone. As she has quietened things down on request , she is obviously aware of you. I wouldn't want someone to come along and cleanse me from what I percieved as my home, although that would need to be done if the presence were malevolant.
It may be worth checking with a medium to find out whether she is grounded here or visiting. If she is grounded, then a medium can offer her a chance to move on. If she is visiting and causing no problems, why bother? Either way, a medium may be able to tell you something about her.
Just make sure you are grounding and protecting when you are doing any work (practise or not) with spirit, even tarot.

Poppy x

If she is not a problem child, and she is only mischeivious, and you all have no problem with her, let her be.

If you are in the least bit uncomfortable, any of you, with her, then you yourself can do a cleansing and help her to move on.

You really do not need the aide of anyone, you will be able to find any info you will need here, along with sage advice.

I don't feel that she is a threat, just a child having found new friends to play with.

Follow your heart, and gut, for they will never lead you wrong.

If it makes you uncomfortable smudge and bless your home....sage and salt, and maybe patchouli oil. You can also make a  sachet charm and hang it in the room(s) where the sensation is strongest. You can use a number of ingredients, but  I like the combination of sage, salt, rose petals, clove, basil, cinnamon, lavender, and a small chunk of amethyst; these ingredients are protective AND soothing.

Also, it is said that spirits do not like bells and chimes; maybe hang a small windchime in the kitchen by a cracked window or a/c -- heater vent so the air will cause the chimes to sing.

If the spirit's presence does not bother you, then leave it be.

Thanks so much to everyone for your help!   I'd almost forgotten I'd posted here...about two weeks after I posted, our friend started bothering one of my roommates...not letting her sleep, following her down the hallway and (eventually) all the way into the parlor.  So, we did a quick smudge and on the advice of a friend from  Puerto Rico who's had experience with this, we lit a white candle, asked her very politely to leave and left it on the kitchen table until it burned out.  Odd thing about that was...our French roommate was home and she HATES anything out of the ordinary.  She was puttering in the kitchen and then went back to bed.  My other roommate and I were nervous that she'd blown out the candle (because that seems like something she would do), so we went back and checked...but, there it was, burning just as we'd left it.   The next morning, we felt a distinct difference in the house and the French roommate even commented that her eyes looked different in our mirror.   We told her about asking our friend to move on and about burning the candle on the kitchen table.   Turns out, Fifi DID blow out the candle before she went back to bed...so, it seems that the candle re-lit itself which tells me that our friend was ready to move on.  I hope.  I felt bad asking her to go, but she was becoming more troublesome to more people than just me...in any event I appreciate everyone's help.  Thanks, again!

I'm glad everything worked out for all involved  

I often wonder if they "bother" us to get our attention so that we can help them move on.

That could be true in some instances.