How To Develop Your Psychic & Intuitive Abilities - Part 1

This blog post was written in response to a question emailed to me by one of my clients. It was such a good question that I thought it deserved a blog post (or 2, or 3)!

Andrea's Question: "Do you have any recommendations about how one should go about furthering their psychic abilities? I've read tarot cards on and off, and seem to have a knack, and then of course there's my natural ability to "read" people. But not necessarily with dates & times and all that predictive stuff"

My Response: I personally like to learn experientially in a hands-on fashion, but my very earliest experiences with the intuitive realms involved private exploration of dreams and dream journaling, astrology, tarot and paganism. I began learning about these things in my early teens and have gone on to develop my natural intuitive abilities (which we all have) with the help of teachers, through group classes, workshops, lectures, books and private sessions with healers and intuitive guides.

Dreams

I started out by working with my dreams and recommend keeping a dream journal by your bed where you can record dreams when you wake up or by setting an alarm clock to wake yourself up at an odd hour to facilitate dream remembrance. Significant dreams will stay with you and resonate for years to come and you will begin to know which dreams are significant with practice. You can also work with lucid dreaming or by asking yourself a question before falling asleep and requesting that the answer come to you in a dream. Often dreams will allow you to re-connect with deceased friends or relatives and sometimes you may astro travel as well.

Recommended books: “Symbols for Self Understanding” by Betty Bethard

Astrology

There is much more to astrology than just your sun sign (determined by the day you were born.) Becoming involved with the study of the planets and stars will expand your awareness on a universal level connecting you with the bigger picture crossing generations and even universes. My own studies in metaphysics began with dreams, then astrology.

Recommended books: “The Only Way To Learn Astrology” (6 Volumes) by Marion March & Joan McEvers, “Planets in Transit” by Robert Hand, “Astrology for the Soul” by Jan Spiller, “The Liquid Light of Sex” by Barbara Hand Clow, “The Changing Sky” by Steven Forrest

Recommended magazine: “The Mountain Astrologer”

Recommended authors & teachers: Steven Forrest, Barbara Hand Clow

Tarot

Tarot decks are a whole world onto themselves and can involve you in an ancient study of images and symbols with mysterious origins. Working with tarot cards has allowed me to access the many realms depicted in the cards. By working with a Pre-Celtic Shamanistic deck called “The Greenwood Deck” I first encountered one of my main spirit guides while meditating upon the Ancestor card.

Recommended books: “Tarot For Yourself” by Mary K. Greer

Paganism & Goddess Worship:

I became involved with the study of paganism and ancient goddess religions when I was at university taking a Women’s Studies class, but was first introduced on a personal level to this topic by a male friend of mine who liked to dress up as Pan on Halloween. I have attended several goddess groups and pagan rituals but prefer to practice my own solitary, eclectic and personal blend of reverence for Mother Earth. Currently I practice Third Celtic Faerie Shamanism and was initiated into this tradition in 2017 by Francesca De Grandis.

Recommended books:”The Language of the Goddess” by Marija Gimbutas (archaeology), “The Motherpeace Tarot” deck and book by Vicki Noble, “The Book of Goddesses & Heroines” by Patricia Monaghan

Recommended authors, teachers & leaders: Starhawk, Szusanna Budapest, COG (Covenant of the Goddess)

This blog post details how I developed my own metaphysical practices and studies and I hope you will expand upon these suggestions in your own personal way. Upcoming posts will delve into: shamanism, energy healing, herbs, mediumship, crystal healing, channeling, psychic work, law of attraction, meditation, yoga and past life regression.

To read more posts about My Psychic Background please click here and for Psychic Development please click here.

Consulting Your Spirit Guides Guides (Secret No. 7)

This week as part of our highly creative bloggers Next Chapter Book Club we are taking a look at: seeking out role models and advisers, reading about inspiring lives, and guiding others. (Side Note: This post is from a few years ago)

CHALLENGE #1 Searching for a guide (in the flesh):

My story - Short Version:

Never had one.
Always wanted one.
Dreamed I was one.
Became one.

Long Version - How to Find Your Spirit Guides:

I never actually found the "perfect guide" in the flesh, but I did find several in the spirit world. My recommendation, for those of you searching for your spirit guides, is to start out by working with a deck of tarot or oracle cards. My deck of choice was the Greenwood Deck, a Celtic Pagan deck created by Mark Ryan and illustrated by Chesca Potter. The two cards featured in this blog post were the ones that kept cropping up for me over and over again. But it was the Ancestor card that proved to be my greatest guide, acting as a gateway into the spirit world. By following (metaphorically/symbolically) the trunk and roots of the trees pictured in the card, down into the ground and beyond, I was able to access my main spirit guide, Annie.

How To Connect with Guides to Help Others:

When I give readings, I connect with the greatest guide there is, The Divine. I didn't start out by giving readings, I worked up to it over many, many years of practice. I suggest you find what methods work best for you, whatever allows you to quiet your mind (monkey-mind), open your heart, and become humble in the presence of Divine Beauty, with the realization that you are merely a channel and a messenger. Your job as a guide, is to remain open and connected, so that you can deliver healing and insightful messages in a non-judgemental, comprehensible and clear manner.

To read more blog posts about Psychic Development please click here. To read more about my personal Psychic Background please click here.

About Kathy Crabbe

Kathy Crabbe has been an artist forever and a soul reader since awakening her intuitive gifts at age forty after five years painting with her non dominant left hand. This awakened her intuition in a big way. In 2008 she created a Lefty Oracle deck and started giving intuitive soul readings. Her second deck, The Elfin Ally Oracle was published in 2019 and a third deck is planned for release in Spring, 2020. Kathy lives in sunny Southern California with her two dogs and architect husband in an adobe style home they built themselves.

Tamara's Fairy Tarot Magick

Meeting Tamara:

I recently met Tamara online in the Etsy Forum in a thread I started called "Calling all witches, psychics and tarot readers” - I have met a ton of wonderful wise women here and our thread is ongoing so come join us, when you get a chance!

Tamara’s Blend of Art and Spirituality:

I'm an eclectic Pagan and practicing herbalist with a creative streak that leads me to draw, paint, sew and build. My spirituality is an important part of my creative process and you'll often find me tucked away in my workspace coming up with my next project!

Tamara’s Fairy Daughter:

My daughter is 13 and she is totally a free spirit. She was really the inspiration behind the costume and photos. I made the costume from scraps of fabric that we had lying around the house. The wings were the most elaborate part of the costume, but the most important part, too. I dyed the nylon material and made the form from copper wire that we pulled out of some old electric wire, then I used glass beads to make the designs on them.

Tamara Creates Her Own Tarot Deck:

The tarot cards were an intense labor of love and the time spent making them was so cathartic for me. It also pushed me outside the boundaries of all that I'd done before. I would encourage anyone who is dabbling with tarot to take the time to make their own set.

No More Doom and Gloom Imagery:

The imagery behind most of the tarot cards in my deck was a random thing, actually. I felt it was necessary to replace the typical doom and gloom imagery of the Death card, for example with something brighter and more in keeping with the 'new beginnings' or 'metamorphic' interpretations that I often see in my readings. Hence ~ sunshine, caterpillar and butterflies.

Tarot Readings:

Often, when doing a reading, I would find myself struggling to make connections. I would go to my books and read the literal meaning of the card and my mind would instantly come up with it's own image for remembering, so I'd make notes of those images. When I created my own deck, I combined or replaced some of the symbols that held no meaning for me with symbols and images that did.

Tamara's Etsy Shop #1 - My Veiled Ego
Tamara's Etsy Shop #2 - Tamara's Herbes
Tamara's Blog

To read more metaphysical and healing stories by featured Guest Writers please click here.

A Gypsy's Dream

Do you recognize that you are not yet perfect? Do you have complete faith in the Divine and that all your needs will be met? Is your belief so strong that you want to share it with everyone?

Past Lives:

I have had many past lives as a seeker of truth (in my astrological chart my North Node of the Moon is in Sagittarius and in the Scorpio House, the 8th House.) This particular lifetime, for me is all about sharing these truths, these discoveries with all of you. If you want to learn more about your past lives you can try out a basic astrology reading here

My Gypsy Dream:

To travel and teach the pathway to soul so all can resonate with the Divine essence within.

Try out a free Mini Trial Soul Reading here LuLu Design (it is listed by that name and is in the section titled "Psychic/Astro Readings" - if it's sold out, shoot me an email and I'll make sure you get one!)

The Patron Saint of New Orleans

CHATTING WITH Kathy Connolly, Etsy Artist: Kathy created this Hurricane Travel Altar to commemorate Our Lady of Prompt Succor - she is the protectress from hurricanes and other disasters (such as fire), and is widely credited with helping win the Battle of New Orleans. She is also the patron saint of New Orleans. This image of Our Lady (incorporated into the lid of Kathy's Travel Altar pictured on the left) is from the Ursulines Convent and is a replica of a huge mural in their courtyard.

PSYCHIC READINGS ON ETSY:

Kathy responds to my controversial Etsy forum posting titled, “Psychic readings on Etsy, how do you feel about it?” by saying: ”And that's what it all boils down to for me -- everyone on Etsy has some kind of gift to offer. If our gifts happen to be in the realm of spirituality or metaphysics or just helping people understand something about themselves, then what is the rub? In essence, I am saying 'Give it a try.' If you don't like it, no one is going to make you do it again. If you do, and it goes against your grain, consider it a novelty. If you already understand what the benefits and drawbacks are, then you will choose your reader based on any number of factors, and feedback may or may not have anything to do with it.

And truly, if you look at the original artwork on some sites, like Kathy Crabbe's site, you will see that you don't even have to get a reading to get the art."

PERSONAL CHOICE:

Kathy comments: ”I cannot reiterate how much I believe in personal choice and freedom of expression. But I suspect that many of the people who have already expressed their discomfort or dismissal will not read any of this -- and for that, I am truly sorry. Light encourages growth, and being enlightened is an invitation to grow. Light comes from many sources, and the choice is always yours."

*Tarot and psychic readings were officially legalized on Etsy in August of 2008 as long as a tangible item is offered. Etsy is the largest marketplace and community of artists and crafters on the web.

NEW ORLEANS:

Kathy states: “I am a kind of Catholic, but one of the reasons I live in New Orleans is that so many of the old traditions are preserved here, and yet the religion has always expanded to fit the people who are here. It is joyous and celebratory, and for the most part, now in the twenty-first century (and some churches even back in the 18th century), welcoming of all people from all cultures.”

Kathy's Oyster Shell Shrine: "These little shrines are a pure expression of love. Each one is made as an act of faith -- in love, joy and peace. Amen!"

TAROT READINGS:

For Kathy Connolly "readings are about a way of looking at a problem, of organizing the factors in a decision. The cards are pretty good guides to overlooked information, or to a new way of seeing things. It's a kind of visualization, which can be replicated as an artifact to keep those factors in your "line of sight", so you don't slip into old ways of looking at problems. I have gone into readings for friends absolutely sure what the cards would say, only to be completely rocked back in my chair. It helps unlock any rigidity of perception that might be a hindrance to new ideas."

To read more healing and metaphysical stories by Guest Writers please click here.