On Being an Intuitive Artist & Psychic

An interview with Cappy Sue for her blog.

Cappy Sue: When did you first realize you had some abilities others did not?

I am going to refer to my psychic-medium abilities in response to this question. My first really big moment of ealization came when I stood up in a mediumship development circle I had just joined and made an instant connection with someone who had passed over. I immediately sensed and saw images of what they looked like, where they lived, what they were like, who they were around, stuff like that. That really blew my mind because I had never before witnessed mediumship or knew what to expect at all! It was quite exhilarating and fascinating and I've been hooked ever since on connecting with the spirit world!

When did you realize these intuitive/psychic abilities were a part of your art work?

My psychic-medium abilities were definitely enhanced by my work as a professional artist since

1993. Being an artist is similar in a way to being a psychic because both skills can allow one to access other worlds. Being a psychic and being an artist require deep concentration and focus to the point of obsession and allow one to connect with other realms and beings. So it wasn't that much of a leap to turn my art work (which is often created in series) into four decks of oracle cards that I use for my psychic readings. I was also guided by a dream to turn my Lefty artwork (a series of over 500 drawings created over a period of five years with my non dominant left hand) into cards that I was to use for online readings exclusively . The day after I received that dream was when I started offering readings on Etsy and I haven't stopped since!

I've also gone on to create this blog and website as well. Currently I work with a Lefty Oracle deck, a Goddess Zodiac deck, a Fairy Herbal Healing deck and a Celtic Tree Oracle deck. They don't follow any system such as a tarot deck does, but instead serve to emphasize and expand upon a psychic reading in a visual, healing and informative way.

All the decks, except for the Lefty deck come with written information explaining the meaning behind the card ie. herbal healing, zodiac, goddess and Celtic druidic wisdom. There are always clues in the information that can guide one to enhance their reading and to work with it on their own to bring about inspiration, healing or shifts in energy that will hopefully encourage the client to move forward and make changes in their life or in their habitual responses and patterns.

What is your favorite part of creating the art work?

I love to be in the moment - painting is all about expressively, emotionally and passionately connecting with heart energy. I love the feeling of going deeply into all kinds of emotions; difficult, painful, joyous and ecstatic ones - they are all expressions of who we are as human beings. I paint so that I can bring forth these feelings into the world in a healthy and almost cathartic process.

Recent paintings in progress are here on my instagram: kathycrabbeart. Learn more about my work as a psychic-medium and soul reader here: http://KathyCrabbe.com/About

Learn more about my Art Mission here.

How I Became A Psychic-Medium

What is a medium? A person thought to have the power to communicate with the spirits of the dead or with agents of another world or dimension; an individual held to be a channel of communication between the earthly world and the world of spirits. Before December of 2006 I have never even seen a medium in action, when all of a sudden I found myself becoming one! I was able to connect with the spirit world and pass on messages as if it was second nature.

Astrologically, I was ready for a big shift. As an astrologer I knew I was entering a major transitional phase of my life called Uranus Opposition that happens to all of us around ages 38 to 42. The planet Uranus rules the sign Aquarius and will definitely shake us out of a rut, especially if we’re stuck, and it isn’t always pretty – Uranus does rule electricity and lightning! But I felt prepared and was just itching for change as I felt the intensity rising in my life.

Recently I had met a famous Irish sculptor, Linda Brunker and her boyfriend Adam Higgs, a well-known English psychic.They had just moved to Southern California from the UK and Adam was talking about starting up an English Traditional Teaching and Healing Circle at his home for friends only. I kept pushing and pushing for him to start it up and so he did in December of 2006. Our group ranged in size from three to eight returning members and we met weekly at the same place and time for the next six months.

We began our Circle by saging (which entailed holding a burning sage leaf and whisking it around our body) and then sitting in a circle as Adam led us through a guided meditation that always put us in a relaxed and heightened state of awareness. Meditation was something I had been doing since 1991 when I had attended a weekly meditation group in Ottawa, Ontario led by Om, a student of Sri Chinmoy so this part was very familiar to me.

After our meditation Adam paired us up so that we could practice psychic readings on each other. We sat facing our partner with closed eyes as we held their hands and recounted everything that we saw, felt or heard. After about fifteen minutes we would switch positions so that they could read us. Adam explained that this was the most difficult thing we could do as psychics, so of course that’s why we were starting off with this, since everything we did afterward would seem easy!

After doing several readings we joined again in circle and Adam lit a candle and then explained to us what a medium did. We were to stand up one at a time (if we chose to participate) in the center of the circle, close our eyes and wait for the departed to connect with us. This could happen through clairvoyance (French for ‘clear seeing’), clairaudience (clear hearing), clairsentience (clear feeling), or clairgustience (clear tasting), and we were to relay everything that happened to the group. Our circle was not allowed to ‘lead’ us in any way other than by asking us questions if something needed clarification or by answering ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to any observations made. For example, we weren’t allowed to say to the medium, “Oh yes, that’s my grandfather Elmer, and he just died in April last year!” The medium had to give at least three solid pieces of ‘evidence’ that proved without a doubt that it was the correct person and once the evidence was confirmed by a member of our circle then we were to ask the deceased for a message for that person. Messages such as, “Oh you were so loved” did not fly with Adam – we were to pass on substantial, fact laden messages that expressed more than just sentiment.

Adam was always very tough on us, and in fact called our group “Boot Camp for Psychics” and we believed him because he was no lightweight himself, but in fact was a massive bodybuilder who worked out regularly and whose favorite word was ‘discipline.’ He was a completely no-nonsense kind of guy who rarely if ever gave out compliments, so we worked very hard with no fooling around. After circle Adam and Linda always prepared a wonderful, healthy meal for all of us and we sat around chatting, playing with their pet wolf, Samson and talking about circle.

I really enjoyed the psychic reading part of our circle, but it was the mediumship that just blew me away. It was my first experience seeing the departed and they appeared as if through a veil, like in a dream, but I also felt as though I could bring them closer if needed so that I could see them and their previous life more clearly. Often the same deceased person would return session after session until I felt as though I knew them quite well. Some folks in our group rarely or never tried mediumship, but one other woman who had just started the group was also quite talented, so it is possible right from the get-go! Adam explained that sometimes it can take years of weekly practice to make a connection, but “practice makes perfect’ was one of his favorite sayings and he explained that even the most naturally gifted mediums can stagnate if they don’t continually use their talents and improve upon them.

The Circle changed my life and it hasn’t been the same since. During that time I bravely went out on my own and started giving readings at a new age store called Nirvana, but after they closed their doors I started working online exclusively and have given over a thousand readings since August of 2008. This way just works best for everyone involved and I feel both blessed and thankful for the work I am able to do.

If you would like to read more about my psychic background please click here.

Returning Home

Watching my friend Rebekha blowing glass during Art after Dark - Kingston Gallery Tour

Today was tough. I had just returned from my hometown of Kingston, Ontario, Canada where the beginnings of Fall were just turning the sumac, the maples and the poplars intense shades of crimson and gold. The flight was a long one and my wise friend in Cali suggested that perhaps my aura had been effected by the jet flight, especially since it was an East to West flight - something I had never considered before.

Me & Ailsa - Birch Island

So, to get myself back in gear I settled down with my Jet sphere and my red Phantom Quartz Crystal from Africa along with a pad of paper and pen. I immediately tuned into my deepest self and just knew that I had to re-locate my source, and connect with my deepest wish. Not sure how or why I had disconnected from it, but sometimes travel can really shake you up!

I thought my routine was just fine as it was, but I realized that I really missed having friends at close call. I missed great live music that I could walk to and I missed a lively art scene and loads of young people and old all mixed in together enjoying a very communal and welcoming city. I missed the open air markets, creative possibilities, and especially the cool, crisp air that accompanies the beginning of fall.

I'm back home now in Southern California, glad to have escaped the over 100 degree heat wave last week, but I'm still a little melancholy. To make up for lost time I'm revamping my art studio, planning on making music a much bigger priority - both playing, listening and dancing to it, looking into artist co-ops once again and thinking about becoming vegetarian. I want to watch less movies, get out more, paint and make prints again. I also have some more dreaming to do in regards to my Lefty book/e-course and of course I will continue soul reading - I think that perhaps it's the absence of this meditative space over the past week while vacationing that I have missed the most and perhaps after all, this is part of why I'm feeling disconnected. Meditation and service to soul come first and then all else falls into place.

Crystals are set out, each in their own patch of moon. "The earth, the air, the fire, the water they turn, they turn, they turn, they turn..." From the CD "A Circle is Cast" by Libaba (Angel Photo and comment by Claudi Neff)

Jet is organic in origin, formed from the remains of wood immersed in water millions of years ago, then compacted and fossilized. Jet has been mined since around 1400 BC and jet carvings have been found in prehistoric burial mounds. It has also been known as black amber, because it can induce an electrical charge like that of amber when rubbed.

Jet helps to heal the grief of losing our place among the stars and supports accepting the limits of incarnation in the physical body. It also helps us to accept the Earth as the place we need to be for the present and opens us to ancient wisdom along with the wisdom of the body and the wisdom of the planet.

Jet is also used to banish negativity in order to clearly hear one's intuition and inner light.