So, I've been trying to create an animation of a ghost coming out of the ground.  I am using the ol' Edge_Blend connected to a Subtract node and hiding from raytracing trick to create a faded halo around the edges of the figure while having the inside invisible/translucent.

However, the "ghost" fails to illuminate the surrounding environment sufficiently no matter what I do to the gather node.  Is it because of the raytracing tricks?

I'd like to have the translucent ghost brightly illuminate the surrounding environment.  Are there any tips and tricks that anyone has?

Thanks a bunch!