Saturday, December 24, 2005

Chills up my spine

Hi Brandi and thanks for your time.

I need to know if the other side can reach me via chills up and down my spine.

I have had many experiences (mostly when I talk about the afterlife) where the chills come and seem to validate what I’m saying. So I’m curious if these are messages just for me.

Also, I am just learning of regression and want to try and learn about my past in order to perhaps cure myself of an ailment that may have carried over into this life. How do you feel about regression?

Are you able to guess what that ailment is???? If so, tell me.

SP


Chills up and down the spine are common experiences during spiritual contacts. Whether this is a reflection of fear or part of some kind of psychic sense has to be determined by each individual. But if you find this is common in your own case, pay attention when it happens. Make a note of it in your journal. You may find that you can count on it for one of the signs that spiritual activity is happen.

I believe that regression can be helpful in resolving both physical and emotional issues, I have heard of astonishing healings, but whether it is an actual reflection of a past life or not in every case is hard to say. I have had spontaneous past life recall. I do believe in past lives. I also find that some of the regressions I have witnessed seem to be strong metaphors for circumstances in the current life, and I believe that it is the current life where our primary focus should be. I would recommend that you look for someone who is a qualified hypnotherapist, however.

Can I ask you why you would ask me what your ailment is? I mean, I presume you already know, right? I really don’t get a strong connection to your ailment, sorry.

Brandi

Sunday, November 13, 2005

What is my Path of Illumination?

My life has been fairly 'normal', no great success or great tragedy but somehow I feel I am not really on the path of illumination that I am supposed to be on? Is this feeling accurate? And if so, can you give me some advice on what to do?

TT


I sincerely believe that there is no great mystery to the path anyone is “supposed” to be on. It is the path of your highest joy, your heart’s desire. There is no mystical career counselor up in the sky deciding Sally will do this, Thomas will do that, TT will be a (fill in the blank). And if that guy does exist, I doubt he wants us doing stuff we don’t enjoy.

Unfortunately, traditional spiritual teachings have given us this impression that we have a purpose designated by God for a life, a purpose that is somehow a mystery to us until we find it. And this mysterious purpose is supposed to involve a lot of struggle and sacrifice.

Poppycock. I agree with the ideas in “Conversations With God”. We are not born with a template of who we are “supposed” to be, along with a set of sacrifices we are supposed to make. Instead, it is more like a blank slate that we are supposed to fill in, through our own choices and desires. Life is not about finding meaning, it is about creating meaning. If we are given guidance, it is through our own intuition and feelings, the highest of these being love and joy.

I would not tell you what your higher purpose was, even if I thought I knew it. Because I believe that part of the purpose of your life is to believe in yourself, and have faith in your dreams. The ones you abandoned because others told you that you were not good enough, smart enough, talented enough or driven enough to succeed. If I or any other psychic were to do that, we might set you on a path of our choosing for you, rather than your own. I have had this happen in my own life, early on, when I met psychic after psychic with their own ideas about what my “purpose” was. Each one had a slightly different opinion. Finally I realized that there was no one thing I was supposed to focus on. They got the theme right, art, creative work, the Internet, psychic and intuitive work … but none of them really nailed it dead on.

I have also learned recently that in some things it is so much more powerful if you decide a thing for yourself, and this is definitely one of those kinds of questions. Sometimes though, that is easier said than done … I have met so many people whose dreams are covered by a layer of parental and social disapproval that they can’t see through. So I have created a tool for reconnecting with your heart’s desire. If you have a copy of “Living With Your Psychic Gifts” (www.psychicprotection.net) , look up the “Circle Meditation”.

Brandi

Monday, August 29, 2005

Family doubts

Dear Brandi
I'm a hyper-sensitive empath and I work with a small group of other gifted individuals. However, my family is uber-Christian (Catholic), and non-sensitive, except possibly my father. My mother is completely shut to the idea, and thinks that I am completely full of it. Any ideas on ways to open their minds to it a bit? Also, any help on calming the telempathy and possibly helping develop a bit of telekinesis would be great! Thank you!

AM

Hi there! I know the kind of struggle you are facing. My own family are all fundamentalist Pentecostal evangelical Christians, and believe it or not, I've found most Catholics are more tolerant and understanding of psychic abilities than most folks in my family.

I wish that I could provide some kind of magic wand to make your family understand you, but in all honesty that kind of magic is beyond my abilities. The best argument I have is to recommend that Christians have a good read through I Corinthians ... ask them what Paul wrote about the "Gifts of the Spirit". I believe he is referring to the kinds of gifts we call "healers, psychics and mediums", and he says these gifts come from God. But sometimes people are so stuck in their beliefs, they just can't accept an argument.

What I found helpful in dealing with some of my family members was to stop trying to change them, and accept them for who they are. That can be easier said than done. But James Roswell Quinn, in his book "Controlling Others for Love and Profit" (http://www.controllingothers.com) recommends a tool called the Trust Formula:

I love you and I accept you, even when I don't understand you

Whenever I find myself challenged by the intolerance or poor behaviour of others, I repeat this, quietly in my mind. Believe it or not, this simple techniques helps a lot!

Ironically, when we stop trying to control others, and learn to control our own reactions to them, they often make amazing changes for the better. If we try to manipulate them or make them change, they resist or react even worse (Quinn's book is kind of a play on words that way ).
Just focus on being yourself, and on accepting your loved ones as they are right now. Don't try to change them. Oddly enough, you may find that they come around. In the meantime, start keeping a journal. That way, if their minds do begin to open a little, you'll be able to back up some of your intuitions, and you will have all kinds of interesting memories to share with them when they are ready to hear about them.

On calming your empathic gifts, I highly recommend the "Centering" meditation in Quinn's book, done both morning and evening, again, journaling, and of course the meditations and grounding exercises in Living With Your Psychic Gifts.

On telekinesis ... that is a subject I find intriguing, but I have yet to see any demonstration of it outside of stage magic. The only suggestion I have is to practice visualization techniques, and some kind of regular daily meditation. I believe that telekinesis is possible on the astral plane, but I am skeptical about any practical application in conscious awareness.
Brandi

Sunday, June 05, 2005

How do I leave the "Dark Side" Behind?

Dear Brandi

Throughout my childhood I experienced a small handful of psychic experiences, though I always had a burning passion to learn about such a field. My family are devout Christians, however, and I quickly learned that these things were not to be spoken about.

This, however, I believe led me to rebel and try to explore. I don't know why, but I was drawn to the "dark side" of the supernatural. I don't believe this was a good thing. I dove heavily into that world, however, I found that I couldn't grow psychically. Losing interest in the psychic world, I grew increasingly depressed, and it led to a suicide attempt. Only after surviving that, I regained my lust for knowledge and growth.

So, I left the darkness and began on a search. I wanted to grow and learn, but books never worked and I didn't know anyone who could give me any guidance.

Now, I am here. Although I'm no longer involved in dark spirituality, I often find myself having very destructive thoughts. I have always been very reluctant to blame outside entities for one's actions and thoughts, though I do not know why I have such dark desires. Do you have any advice? I don't think I'll be able to open up my abilities until I want to use them for good.

JL

Wow, what a great letter! I applaud your thoughtfulness. You have already taken many huge steps to growth, and the first step I think you need to take next is to give yourself a huge pat on the back for that!

The next piece of advice I am going to give you may sound a little odd, because it does not really involve the psychic process at all. I am going to recommend a program I have attended called "LifeStream".

They have workshops in Toronto, Jacksonville, Columbus, Cincinnati and Rochester. It is worth flying up for it if you don't live close to one of these cities. I took the "LeaderShape" program recently as kind of a spiritual retreat/vacation. There are Lifestream links in both Canada and the US here.

LifeStream has been such a gigantic help for me in my own personal growth, I can't even begin to tell you how much happier I am, how much more confident I am, how much "better" I am, in every way - but especially psychically.

I get no financial incentive to recommend it to you - but I am the editor of a book called "Controlling Others for Love and Profit", which is written by one of the program's facilitators, James Roswell Quinn. If you can't afford to attend the classes, the book is the next best thing. I also recommend the book "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle.

You see, where you are at is more a matter of attitude than of psychic influence. You may indeed have a problem with an attached negative spirit (and I will get to that at the end of this email). But I truly believe that spirits cannot affect us without "permission" on some level. Sometimes this is conscious and ill-intended ("I hate the world and I want to do damage!"), but most of the time, these reactions come from fear ("I want to protect myself from harm, and the dark side looks more powerful"). Unfortunately, as you know, the dark side has a price (look at the Star Wars story ... what a powerful way to share a spiritual truth).

LifeStream is all about our attitudes to fear-based reactions. When I was able to understand my own fear-based reactions, I learned that the reason I was so sensitive psychically was that I was desperate to "please", to "help". I had learned somewhere down the line that if I made myself helpful, people are less likely to hurt me. I thought I was just a hopeless "goodie-goodie" on that level but the truth was a little more humbling. In fact I was afraid to speak for my own needs, and that nearly overwhelmed me by the time I found myself in this class. John Nemanic, my former boss and the contributor to my book said "You are going to destroy yourself and I want to help you. Take this class."

I now believe that class saved my life.

Your case may be very different. I learned in class that everyone has their own unique story, but that what makes us all the same is that no matter what our fears and issues are, they all come down to these fear-based reactions. Learn about that, and we can take control over just about anything. Quinn’s book title is really a play on words. It’s not about "controlling others". Leadership is the art of self-control. When you have that, no one, not parents, friends, family, strangers, nor even demons can control you. The single-most effective process I have found for reaching that state is the LifeStream program.

There are other, similar programs. Many of them, like Life Skills, EST and Silva Mind Control are famous and quite popular. They might be worth checking out if there is a program closer to you. Just keep in mind that I have not tried these classes. What I like about LifeStream is the focus on personal responsibility and leadership.

On the spiritual level, it is best you do regular cleansings and daily meditations to help release any negativity that may remain from your past experiences. Do a rainbow visualization in the morning when you wake up and at night before you go to bed. If you are using any tools or crystals from the past, either burn them or bury them, and buy new ones with the intent to go forward in a positive way. I always affirm that I will use my abilities and my tools for "The highest good of all". Mentally release any ties you may have to those from your past who may remain focused on negativity. If you are not familiar with these concepts, they are explained in detail in both the printed and ebook versions of Living With Your Psychic Gifts.

Brandi

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Your Psychic Systems and New Book by Norma Cowie

Back in the late 1980's I had the privilege of working with Norma Cowie, one of the most gifted psychics and Tarot Card Readers on the West Coast. In fact, I would not hesitate to say that if it were not for her, and for the wonderful psychic fairs she managed at the time, I could not have grown to accept my own abilities as I have today. Her wonderful book on the Tarot is still the best I have ever read. I am on her mailing list, and she has given me permission to reprint her latest article here in the blog.

Enjoy!

Brandi Jasmine



Your Psychic Systems, by Norma Cowie

Today people think of people who are psychics as being clairvoyant or clairaudient. Actually, all five senses have a psychic component. Seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and feeling. It is not commonly known that you also do have a psychic nose and mouth, yet you do.

We are all born psychic, with all our psychic abilities intact. Our psychic abilities enable us to see, hear, smell, taste and feel the non-physical. We are born with all our abilities intact. What happens? Depending upon the environment you are born into will depend upon what happens to these abilities. As most adults get upset when children begin talking about things they do not personally see or understand they will tell their children ”be quiet”, “you don’t know what you are talking about” or just plain “shut up”. As what we want is to be accepted, when we are young, we bit by bit shut down our psychic abilities.

I have found the first ability we shut down is the psychic eye. It is disturbing to see auras, dead people, or events when you cannot talk about them, so by the time you are 3 – 5 years you have shut down that process. Next to shut down are the psychic ears. When voices are heard which do not belong to anyone in front of you and if you cannot ask about them, you will shut down that process.

What I found as I looked at my early years I could hear people thoughts. I found it very disturbing that people thought differently than what they were saying, so it did not take long for me to shut down that process. I have never opened that ability up to the same extent. In fact as I tell people today when they think because I am a psychic that I can read their minds that I have enough to look at in my own mind, why would I want to read theirs. Unfortunately, many people who do have their psychic ears open only hear lower vibrations and it is disturbing, rather than higher vibrations where you can receive inspiration and spiritual support.

I personally did not realize that my own inspiration and inner spiritual support was coming through my psychic ears until I began to examine the many systems. I was not aware for instance that we had a psychic nose until I became aware one of my secretaries constantly referred to her nose as we looked over contracts by saying “this smells right”, “this does not smell right” or “this smells fishy, check it out”. As I reflected on this, it made sense to me if we had a psychic eye and psychic ears, then why not a psychic nose. I went inside and checked with my systems and sure enough, I discovered the psychic nose.

Once I knew that we had a psychic nose it was only a matter of contemplating about all the senses that I thought surely we would have a psychic mouth. I once again checked with my inner systems and there it was, a psychic mouth. These two abilities to smell and taste just have never been explored to the depth that they could be. I also had an interesting discussion with a cousin who trained people in banks. She had an incredible undiagnosed psychic nose. She could smell if something was not right with the person in front of her. Therefore she had a high rate of catching frauds. It was thought she could train others to do the same and she was very frustrated because it was not happening. I was able to share with her that because she had a strong psychic nose, her trainees would have other abilities more developed, it could be their eyes, ears, mouth and most likely it would be their feelings.

The psychic feeling aspect which is known as intuition, hunches or clairsensory is a very large system. It is very difficult to shut down this whole system because it involves the chakra system which is throughout the whole body. The chakra system is mostly known as the vortex system ranging from the base of the spine to the top of the head. To shut this system down you would more than likely not be alive. Therefore most of us have some of our intuitive therefore psychic feeling aspect working. Now whether we listen to what our senses are telling us or not will depend on the individual. Some people listen more than others.

When I’m working with people to open up their natural psychic abilities, most people believe they come and do a lot of exercises. Not with me. What I do is explain how the different systems work. For instance the eye system is quite complicated. You have your third eye, which is your brow chakra. You also have a screen or screens where information is reflected on and you have an inner eye which sees it. The inner eye, ear, nose and mouth is another aspect I have discovered which is not commonly understood either. Therefore in the psychic eye system you have, physical, psychic and inner eyes. What makes the eye system so fascinating are the screens. You may have one or many of these screens, they can be placed anywhere, inside or outside of you.

What I discovered is that most people who cannot see psychically, usually have fear on their screens. Therefore, in order to develop your clairvoyance and see psychically, the screens need to be cleared of all fear. What is most common is that in past lives you have seen situations which you did not like and chose not to see any more. I have found in my core belief energy releasing work that constantly the scenes of war and the horror of man’s inhumanity to man comes up within the psychic eye and screens. People are just overwhelmed by it all and chose not to look or see again. Unfortunately the energy is trapped and needs to be released or else you do not see until it is. In this life, when you are ready to begin to develop your psychic abilities all these past live memories need to be released so that you can begin to see, hear, smell or taste when you choose to.

For some reason people think that psychics are open and reading everyone they met all the time. As I tell my students, “you are learning to be a trained psychic. You do not go around everyday reading everything and anything which is around you. You decide when you want to utilize your psychic power and which modality you want to work with.” For all the students I have trained some have gone on to become professional psychics, most though have utilized their knowledge for their own enhancement. They know they have their own psychic power to utilize. They know how it works and they know when to use it and when not to bother.

Another way I have explaining the difference between trained and untrained is this “if you have a stream running down the mountain side it looks very pretty, but has no power. Take that stream, dam it and you can make electricity and have all the power you want.” Developing your psychic power is the same. It may not be as pretty, or as sensational, but it will work for you when you want it to. As far as I’m concerned this natural ability we are born with needs to be opened and brought into alignment with your life. That means clearing all the psychic systems.

The psychic systems, whether it be eyes, ears, nose, mouth or feelings are an integral part of us. Whether we choose to open these systems up and utilize them is our choice. Once you do release the blocked energy, then you will discover how much easier situations in life become.

----------------

I have found when working with the Core Belief Energy Releasing and I’ve looked at where blocks are being held to what you create, that the psychic systems will often hold blocks. This is because of the different scenes we have encountered which we hold onto. It is amazing how much we hold onto and take with us life time after life time. It is through the consciousness of the now that we are able to release these blocks and open ourselves up to more and more consciousness. Clearing these blocks is important. It amazes me consistently as I work with many people, just how many blocks we have from the many lifetimes we have encountered. The psychic systems are just one system, but it is one we do use most of the time even if we do not know it.

New Zealand & Australia - Tarot

Come June 6th I will be flying down under to New Zealand to visit family and then over to Australia to speak at the Tarot Conference in Melbourne and then journeying to Sydney with two other presenters to do a lecture and be available for readings. I will be returning home to Canada mid July.

The Australian Tarot Conference is being held July 1 – 6 in Melbourne. For more information on Melbourne you can visit

http://association.tarotstudies.org or Sydney http://www.tarotguild.au

New Tarot Book

I am also happy to say I have finally completed my new Tarot book

Pathways of the Tarot. As I write this, copies are being printed to take to Melbourne. If you want a copy, please email me as it is not on the web page yet. The introductory price is $15.95. plus $10. postage/handling and 7% for Canadians. Total cost $28.00

Enjoy the summer, I will be happy to report on the downunder journies upon my return.

Blessings

Norma Cowie
http://www.normacowie.com

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

A "Dark Veil"

Hi Brandi :)

First off, let me say - what a great site. Thanks for sharing your experiences and knowledge. A couple of questions have been nagging at me for a while, so perhaps you can help me out...


Firstly, for quite a while now, I have felt as if things just..."aren't right". I don't know if that makes any sense...but it feels as if a dark veil has been draped over my world/life/etc. I went through a particularly traumatic event about a year and a half ago, which also involved terrible disagreement with a (former) friend - I don't think anyone else has acted with such anger towards me in my whole life. As I said, ever since then, I've just felt as if things just...aren't quite right. The shine and magic of life seems to be lacking, and things in my life just seem to be...deteriorating (I think that's the best word for it). I don't feel like myself. This feeling ebbs and flows, but it's pretty much always there. I am wondering if it's possible for some kind of bad spirit or energy to be following me around? Does this kind of thing happen? And if so, what exactly can I do to free myself from it?

Also, my paternal grandfather passed away when I was four. He was staying over at our house at the time. Every now and then I feel little chills when I'm in the room he passed in (the living room) and I'm just "aware" of something else. If I'm sitting down, I often find myself looking up, as if there's someone standing close by. If it is my grandfather, is there any way I can open up communication with him? We were incredibly close, despite my age when he passed, and I do miss him.

Finally, my mother appears to have some significant psychic/seeing abilities. She often gets messages from people who have passed on, but is always very secretive about such messages. I don't know if she really is reluctant to share something that is private to her, or ifshe thinks that I will react with skepticism and disbelief. I just want my mum to know that I trust her abilities and am interested in any encounters she might have. Is there any way I might get be able toget her to willingly open up to me a bit more?

Thanks for your time :)

Rebecca
Australia



Dear Rebecca,

G'day! Thanks for writing. Firstly, about that "dark veil" feeling, I have noticed that a lot of sensitives and psychics are feeling that way right now (and would welcome comments from more of you about this). I think we are reacting to a number of things, the legacy of 9/11, and the fears that many people have about 2012*. If you just feel a "free floating anxiety" that is not related to your own life through visions, dreams or specific fears, then this global malaise is likely the cause.

I relate to your feelings about your friend, though. I had a similar experience not long ago, though without the "psychic hangover", thankfully. In your case, it is remotely possible that there continues to be a "cord" or psychic connection between the two of you, or that there is a "psychic attack" happening. Just remember, 99.99999% of the time, the other party has no idea they are doing this. They can simply harbor strong negative feelings towards you, and if you are still holding onto your own feelings, a "feedback loop" happens that can lead to the sensations you described.

Whether this is a deliberate attack, some kind of "cording" or simply what I call "global malaise", the advice is the same. First, and this is not just a "disclaimer" … talk to your doctor to rule out any chemical or clinical depression. Tell them about your feelings. If you are not certain how they might react to your suspicions of psychic attack, then simply describe how you feel, without mentioning your psychic concerns or experiences.

If your doctor says you are not depressed, just "under stress", and the feeling continues for more than a week or two, then you may reasonably conclude that the problem is primarily spiritual or psychic. In the meantime though, you should take some psychic steps as well.
Second, on a daily basis, take a few minutes each morning and evening to meditate or "center" yourself. There is a "Rainbow Lotus" meditation in my book, or you can choose one by doing a search on the Internet. Third, do the "uncording" exercise. Imagine that any cords connecting you and your friend are broken or untied. Forth, and most important … forgive your friend. Visualize them as you remember them in happy times, and surround them with love. Tell them (in your mind) "I love you and I accept you, even when I don't understand you". If you find this too challenging, I recommend Ross Quinn’s book Controlling Others for Love and Profit. I went though the same kind of experience you did, and instead of feeling tired and drained, I felt empowered, because I chose to forgive. I don’t know that I could have done this if it were not for what I learned from Mr. Quinn.

As for your grandfather, very likely it is him who is trying to reach you. How can you communicate with him better? The more time you give yourself to meditate, the more open to communication you will become. Keep a journal. Write down any impression or feeling, no matter how strange. Pay attention to your feelings.

With your mother … that is simple. Just talk to her. Tell her what you told me. Then listen to what she has to say. She may say what you want to hear … or she may say she doesn’t want to talk about it. Either way, accept her wishes. If she is closed to you now, pushing her won’t help, it could even make things worse. But if you open the topic, and show her that you respect her boundaries, she may eventually feel enough trust to open up to you.

Brandi

*What is "2012"?

2012 is the last year in the Mayan Calendar. Many psychics and mystics believe that its sudden end foretells the end of the world. The past few months, many psychics have come out of the woodwork, making fearful predictions about the end of the world, saying that we are now in the "end times". I don't believe the world will end in 2012. Such negative apocalyptic "prophecies" are irresponsible in my opinion, even when the psychics making them sincerely believe in their visions. If there is any truth to them, and there is nothing we can do to change them, what is the point in making people fearful? To what cause? If they are not true, they are contributing to a culture of fear and dread that is (in my opinion) eating us up from within as a culture. They are literally creating this "dark cloud" so many sensitives have mentioned recently.

In my experience with other psychics, whenever they have such awful visions, the chances are good that they are interpreting personal symbolic visions too literally as global events. I remember one dear soul who was continually telling me that Vancouver was going to have an awful earthquake or drop into the ocean … always in three months time. Inevitably, she and her dysfunctional family would have another horrible, violent crisis at that time … but Vancouver stubbornly refused to drop into the Pacific. I have not spoken to her in years, but I have little doubt that she still clings to that awful vision. It is easier than to face the reality of her life’s miseries.

Right now, the global fears over terrorism and the media culture of negativity are feeding into a dark spiraling vortex of energy that seems to be growing. More fearful predictions are made daily. To those who believe them, or who feel the growing cloud affecting them, I suggest a counter-attack. An international psychic Love-Bombing. Every time you feel this energy, bless it, and yourself, and say "I love the world and I accept the world, even when I don't understand the world. I am safe, whole and full of joy." Find something, anything, any little thought that brings up love and joy in your heart. Massage that feeling until you strongly feel it in your heart center. Then push that feeling out and into the world. Affirm that it will be used for healing for the highest good of all concerned. Just as I believe this dark cloud was created by human fears, so too do I believe it can be dispelled with love.

Thursday, February 24, 2005

Psychic "curse" scam warning

I have noticed a distressing number of stories coming through lately about the tired old "psychic curse" scam, and figured it was time for another warning. I find it incredible that people still fall for this horrible scam, but I guess some folks are trusting and desperate, and it is awfully tempting to think you can buy a magical way out of your troubles. Unfortunately the only thing you buy with these scams is more trouble.

The latest story I posted to Psychic News involves a woman who was told that she needed to bring a so-called "psychic" $5,000 to have it cleansed of a "curse". Of course the "psychic" disappeared with her money.

If any "psychic" speaks to you of "curses", and offers to remove them for a huge fee, or suggests you "loan" then money to have it "psychically cleaned", grab your pocketbook and head for an exit. I would tell such a person that I don’t believe in curses, but I do know a scam when I hear one. If I had not yet paid, I would not offer to, I would just leave. These individuals are not psychics, they have no magical powers, or they would not have to resort to fraud to suppliment their incomes.

If you are at a psychic fair, and something like this happens to you, report the incident to the fair management. In most big psychic fairs you will be refunded any money paid, and the reader will be fined or expelled. The promoter has an interest in running a "clean" psychic fair, and will want to know if anyone is "scamming" this way. It is fraud (it is often called "bunko"), and it’s against the law. "Curses" are nothing but a prelude to an escalating series of demands by the reader who will charge to remove them. Of course the curse is purely imaginary, but a client’s life can become a living hell if you choose to believe in one.

One psychic told me a story of a local client who went to a reader who convinced her that her problems with romance were caused by a "curse on her love life". Years ago, a national TV talk show exposed such scams, complete with magic tricks to show the client how "evil the curse was". There would be a hairball inside an unbroken egg to prove a client was cursed. As silly as this image seems, two of the clients taken for a $10,000 ride were well-educated urban professionals. In a vulnerable, highly emotional state, it can be easy to convince even educated professionals that they have been "cursed".

When the client ran out of money, the psychic suggested that she be allowed to use her Visa card to pay for her "services". This woman was not "cursed" at all. When helped to see that her problems with relationships reflected a co-dependency problem, I am sure she began the road to recovery. Deep issues like co-dependency or adult child difficulties cannot be cured by a magic wave or gesture. A serious person must seek out competent help, and be willing to work things through.

There are other scams, "blessed" candles that sell for outrageous amounts of money (anything over $30 unless the candle is huge, or is an art-piece), "exorcisms" and other questionable practices. Many practices that I might consider fraudulent at worst, or useless at best, are held in high esteem by some of my colleagues, but you can bless your own candles, and you should learn how to clear the energy in your home yourself. If you feel that you need these services, try to find them on a donation basis, or at a reasonable fee. I would want to pay a psychic for her time, and I would judge how much time it takes to "clear" a space, and pay her at the same rate as her readings. If you wish to pay more out of the goodness of your heart or gratitude that is one thing - if you feel you have to because you are afraid she will "curse" you, that is something different altogether.

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

LWYPG gets its own domain!

Living With Your Psychic Gifts has moved to its own domain at www.psychicprotection.net. This is more than just a cosmetic change. I'm planning to add a lot of new content over the next few weeks, including several new articles and an expanded FAQ. Over time, there will be additional books, eBooks and sections of psychic abilities and psychic protection, including sections on how to enhance and improve your intuition.

If your club or organization is looking for an experienced speaker to address your group, please contact me on the forms at www.psychicprotection.net.

Letter from a reader

Dear Brandi:

I was shot at the age of 12 in the right chest at 4-foot range with a 4/10 gauge shotgun because a 17 year old wanted something from this 12 year old I was not prepared to give. I never once lost consciousness or went into shock, which amazed everyone, and still remember everything in perfect detail. The last thing I remember was the nurse putting a mask over my face and telling me to count backwards from 10.

I felt like I was walking backwards with my eyes closed and then it felt like I bumped into a wall with my back. I opened my eyes to a bright (although strangely not blinding) white, misty light that covered everything. Slowly the mist started to move away and I saw myself lying on the OR table. It looked like I was many, many stories high and looking down on myself. I saw them working on me and then I noticed I heard (but not with my ears, more like with my spirit) something like singing or voices speaking but I couldn't make out any words. It was all around me.

At this point I turned around and that's when I saw "the tunnel". It was sucking the light and mist into it at what appeared to be warp speed. I had a feeling of total peace all throughout this experience. As I started toward the tunnel I was told "NO" by a voice. Strange thing is that it was neither male nor female but it held an enormous amount of authority! Then I asked it "Why can't I come home?" I was promptly told "You can not come home yet." I then felt compelled to turn and look back at my body again and that's when I saw them bringing that paddle machine over to me. When they hit me the third time I awoke in ICU.

My parents were told by the doctor that I had died, I was what they call "sheet-faced" and he took a chance by hitting me with the paddles a third time. He admitted to not being a really religious man but he said he felt he was being told not to quit, so he didn't. I was expected to be in the hospital for at least 2 months but was home in 10 days. I was called a "miracle child" on TV and in the papers. I would not trade that experience for anything in the world. A lot of things have been happening to me since though. Before that, I was able to see, smell and feel spirits. I grew up in a haunted house. Since I have had the near death experience I seem to have several psychic gifts as well. I am empathic, I still have all the abilities with spirits, only stronger now, and I have dreams that come true very often. I can also seem to sense other peoples spirits (what kind of person they are) as well. I think the Bible refers to this as the gift called "Deciphering of Spirits".

KF

Dear KF:

The experience you had is not really all that uncommon, believe it or not. If you haven't already done so, you should check out Raymond Moody’s "Life After Life".

The ability to "read people" is called "The Gift of Discernment" ... "Deciphering of Spirits" is the ability to see the spirits of the departed.

You describe your incredible and fascinating experience with great detail - but you didn't come out and actually ask something. Having to take a guess based on other people's questions and my own intuition, the questions that are most likely are "Why me?" and "What is this purpose I am supposed to fulfill?"

I can't answer those questions. The whole point is for you to figure that out yourself. I firmly believe that for many, if not most of us, life is a quest to find "Meaning". We're all raised to believe it's innate, but it isn't always that way. For the majority, life has no meaning until we imbue it with meaning. We decide at some key point, "This is the thing I shall do to make a difference in my life and in the lives of others."

As for "Why did this happen to me?" ... sometimes there is just no answer to that question. Learning to live without knowing is challenging, but releasing the need to know may be important if you want to move on to the next step in your life.

Brandi

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Not connecting with clients

It’s been a while since I have updated the blog, I seem to be dealing with the mid-winter blahs. Anyone besides me sleeping 20 hours a night the past few weeks? Strange days indeed.

Dear Brandi:

I am a psychic too, and I’m pretty good. I have been thinking about starting out as a professional, but I am a little insecure about it. Was there ever someone you couldn’t read? How do you deal with that?

AN

Oh yes ... it has happened to me a few times. I remember one case from an ESP fair in Saskatchewan. This woman came in and it was clear she was abused. I tried to be gentle about it, but his energy came through not as a traditional batterer, but that he had started to batter her to get her to leave, and she would not go! She kept saying "I'm going to MAKE this relationship work!" She started off accepting what I was saying, so I thought I could be more blunt, but that was a mistake. She ended up calling me "evil and wrong" ... I finally stopped the reading and refused to take her money. I was terribly upset by the whole thing. I feared he was going to have to kill her to get her out of his life, she was so obsessed with him. It was the first time I had any empathy at all for a wife beater. She was so negative I could not wait to get rid of her myself.

The next day was the last day of the show, and at the end all the readers went for dinner. Across the table I heard one say, "She kept saying "I'm going to MAKE this relationship work!" I was stunned. She'd seen at least three other readers in the group with the same results! Yet at the end she was still swearing we were all wrong. I never found out what happened to her. It was so sad.

I can think back to maybe 5 or 6 cases out of hundreds that I felt I really didn't connect with clients, and in a couple of those cases, they later came back to me to tell me I'd been right all along.

I just hate it when I don't connect - even if 9 out of ten things I tell a client are true, that one "miss" can make me doubt myself. Yes, I totally get that. I don't know where my self-doubt comes from, even though it is rare that I don’t "connect", it is still challenging. I think the fear of it happening is almost worse than the experience itself. Other psychics have told me I have to let go of the need to be "right" because it interferes with our insight, and I have come to see how this is true. It is when we second-guess ourselves, or try to over-interpret the insights we get that we tend to slip up.

The truth is that there are just some people we can’t reach. They may not all be delusional, as I believe may have been the case with my Saskatchewan client, it may just be that we have incompatible energies. For example, one reason I had many abused clients when I was doing consultations was that there were several other readers who found they could not read certain people. They would refer them to me, and invariably the clients would turn out to be abused. I suspected that the psychics had their own issues with this kind of trauma. Myself, I sometimes find it hard to read certain drug abusers, and people suffering from certain kinds of mental illness (this is a more common cause). But even these cases can be instructive. If you start to journal on the people you can’t connect to, you may discover a pattern, and that could be helpful in your own psychic or personal development.