5 Ways To Challenge Your Paranormal Team's Psychic/Medium - and they are going to love it!

To each their own is my philosophy. Some teams in the para field are adamant that psychics have no place in the field and some have their own, in-house psychic. Some teams are comprised of psychics entirely. Some have sensitives, some have skeptics. Some have a mixture of all of the above. This article is not about telling you which one is the best combination. As far as I am concerned all that matters is that the team are happy and work well with eachother.

If you work with psychics or may be considering working with them in the future, you will find this article useful. Well, I hope anyway.

Here are five ways to engage them in your paranormal investigations, whether private cases, public investigations or commercial locations.

1            Prepare a kit for them to use prior to the investigation. Include items that relate to the location you're investigating. Include some "easter eggs", items that have nothing to do with the location. It can contain things like old photos, items that were used at that location or relate to activities being carried out at the location, even replicas of items, sound bytes or even paragraphs of stories. Get as creative as you like. This is also a good way to gauge how suggestible your psychic is as well as whether they use cold reading techniques to gather information. Disclose nothing of the location you're investigating but leave your psychic plenty of time to work on items from the kit. They may use all of the items or just some of them. Extra brownie points for those who can point out the easter eggs.

2              Obtain a floor plan to the location you're investigating. If a floor plan is not available, just draw one up yourself. Don't worry about it not being an architectural drawing as long as it represents the rough proportions of the property. Give it to your psychic in advance for them to get a "feel" for it. Ask them to give your information on things like, what type of activity they feel is occurring and where. What each room feels like or looks like. Who does what in each room. As in what the day to day use of a space is. Are there any significant items in any of the spaces that might relate to activity. Again, get creative but also allow them to come up with their own information. If you want to push them just a little bit further, ask them to draw the floor plan themselves based on the psychic information they are getting. Do not disclose any information about the location. Extra brownie points for those who can differentiate between the activity of the living and any supposed spirits that may haunt the place.

3              Many psychics read from photos. If you've researched your location, like a diligent paranormal investigator should, you would more than likely have come across some images from that property's past. Pick one that is not an obvious and popular image and get your psychic to read the image. Ask them to provide information on people that have associations with that property or historic events that might have happened there. For a private case, ask permission from the client to use a photo of people living in the house, including some that have passed. Your psychic should attempt to point out relationships between people in the photos as well as gain insight on whether any particular person has any paranormal activity happening around them and what that activity is. Of course for this, as any private case, you'll have to pay particular attention to the client's privacy. As in all of the previous suggestions, give no information to your psychic. Extra brownie points go to anyone that can give names or initials of persons of interest relating to the photos.

4              Re-enactments can be useful during investigations as era cues have been show to produce some great results by teams. Your psychic can help you with that. Tapping into time lines and events that happened at a location, be it indoors or outdoors, private case or commercial building can assist with determining how or where to focus effort during investigation. Get your psychic to help act out events they pick up, either by taking on the role of one of the perceived spirits during the re-enactment or the role of the director where they instruct members of the team what to do or say, how to act etc. Much like a film director. I suggest recording this part on video as well as a separate audio track (or even several) for the chance to gather any possible EVPs these era-cues may generate. Of course, keeping all details from your psychic in this instance is also imperative. Extra brownie points for those psychics who can come up with some scenes to act out prior to the investigation where the events can be verified by the investigator team.

5              Many investigations involve haunted items. Clients report items disappearing or moving or otherwise being involved in paranormal activity. You may want to get your psychic to concentrate on those particular items. If you have the opportunity to get your hands on an item like this prior to the investigation, let your psychic sit with it for a while to see if they will pick up on anything that might relate to the origin of the activity around that item. If that is not possible, a photo of the item might suffice. Or even during the investigation, let your psychic spend some time with the item. In this case don't tell them beforehand what the item that was reported have phenomena around it is. Challenge them further by, again, using the easter egg technique. Expect information from your psychic that is not outright obvious about an item. Eg, a shaving brush being used by a male. Restricting information for this challenge is as important as for the ones mentioned before. Extra brownie points to the psychic if they can pick out any easter eggs or if they can provide information of the origins of allegedly haunted items.

Of course keep in mind that experimentation around psychic phenomena has many critics not to even mention the question that is in the most part and for a lot of people is yet to remain solidly unanswered. Is psychic phenomenon real?

I have had many experiences that I can't explain that led me to question and theorise for both for and against the validity of claims of psychic "powers" and mediumship. I never stop questioning and challenging myself in that regard and I look for answers on both ends of the spectrum. Pushing my own limits has become an obsession of sorts and I take great pleasure in guiding others to do the same. 

Top Tips For Psychics Who Want To Get Into The Paranormal Field

It usually creates grumbles in psychic circles when I say that you need some specialised skills to be efficient as a psychic/medium in the paranormal. I wouldn’t say it if it weren't for the years of experience I have working in the field. And by that I mean actual field. I am not someone who does one on one readings or stage mediumship, for good reasons that belong into a whole other blog article. From very early on in my run as a medium, I knew that those things weren't for me. I enjoyed the challenge of investigations too much, the questioning of the investigators, participating in experiments and even designing them. The more something or someone challenges me, the more I like it. I revel in seeing the paranormal field develop and grow year on year, something that really cannot be said for the spiritual field in general.

There are many distinct attributes that set aside a paranormal medium from stage mediums and those attributes will decide whether a medium will be efficient and effective in a paranormal investigation setting or not. I get asked a lot what those attributes are, how people can gain skills as mediums to be useful in the paranormal and what they need to do start working as a useful part of a team.

Here I am sharing some of my top tips regarding how you, as a psychic or medium can gain entry into the paranormal field and become an integral part of a team or even work as an independent medium investigator.

1              Just because you make claims that you're a psychic/medium it doesn't mean that anyone will employ your services as one.

You can write all the emails you want to teams out there. Chances are that if they even work with a medium they already have one. Someone who is tried and tested and with an established rapport with the other team members. Don't be disappointed if you get rejected. Many teams look for someone with some demonstrated experience in the paranormal field. The less training they have to give you on how an investigation works, the more time they can spend on investigating.

2              Make a name for yourself in the field.       

                                  

The paranormal community, anywhere in the world pretty much, is a pretty tight knit community with teams knowing eachother, independent investigators consulting with teams and eachother so when a name pop ups that they don't know, there is a degree of avoidance. Trust is imperative whether you're a solo investigator or a team so the best way to get started is to get involved in the community. If you just insert yourself from nowhere in the community and demand attention, I can tell you, all you will get are cold shoulders. People work extremely hard to establish themselves in this fringe field and they will expect, rightfully so, that newcomers will pay their dues so to speak. Go to events where those people hang out, there are plenty of them and the offerings are growing every year, talk to them, find out what they do, ask them lots of questions and make it known that you're looking at entering the field yourself. Investigators are social people, well most of them anyway, and they will be happy to introduce you to even more people in the field.

3              Learn about psychic research and paranormal research in general.

The paranormal scene has changed a lot in the last 5 years or so and teams are increasingly critical of mediumship and emphasis is now on using electronic devices to gather evidence. A medium's word is no longer taken at face value. And that is how it should be. The more familiar you are with investigative procedures, experimentation and what goes on during an investigation in general, the more useful you are going to be in the field. Forget about TV shows as a benchmark for good investigative practices and look at the work of reputable researchers. The field is diverse and there are plenty of great brains out there publishing about paranormal research. Seek them out and be an informed psychic/medium.

4              Have an impeccable record of integrity and professionalism.

Many a team has been brought down by an unscrupulous medium and their credibility lost due to shady conduct. It takes a long time to recover trust lost, not only with the clients but for the team as well. Same applies if you're a solo medium investigator. How you conduct yourself publicly, and that includes any sort of social media, will impact on your standing in the paranormal field as well as your ability to gain entry to a team.

5              Be prepared to be challenged in your skills and abilities.

This is a growing field and those who can't grow with it will be left behind. Growth happens when you are challenged, pushed to the very boundaries of your abilities and your beliefs. You have to have the strength to get up and keep going, the humility to say that you are wrong or don't know the answer to a question and the ability to recognise that you are not the centre of the universe at the investigation. A willingness to go anywhere you need to go and deal with whatever is at hand at a moment's notice is also a desirable skill that will stand you in good stead with investigators. I have climbed sand dunes and river banks in searing heat as well as spent nights in derelict buildings in the middle of the woods with no running water many a time to support an investigation. If you're not the type of person to do something like that, reconsider whether you really want to get into the field.

If after all the above you feel like you want to take the leap, I suggest you jump in with both feet or not at all. This field requires a high level of personal commitment and the diversity means that you never know what you'll get when you go out investigating so you'll have to think on your feet. If you like being challenged and to push yourself then don't hesitate. The rewards are well worth it!

Top Tips For Handling Kids' Paranormal Experiences

Children are a lot more open to the world of the unseen and if my own two (not so) little cherubs are anything to go by, there are plenty they experience. Because they have no framework at a young age to put the experiences in, they often get missed in the babble of talking about imaginary friends and storytelling games. Is there anything you can do to have those conversations with your child where they tell you about their unusual experiences? Of course there is.

1              Take your child seriously when they talk to you about their imaginary friends. Some of them may not be so imaginary. When our daughter spoke of seeing her grandmother in her bedroom a few days after she died, she was too young to understand the concept of death. She was perplexed by the fact that as far as she was concerned, her grandmother was living in a different country. Until one night she visited her granddaughter wearing her trademark polka dot blouse she loved so much. Michelle was adamant in the morning that she spoke with grandma in the night and the description she gave was a perfect likeness to what she looked like before she died.  The visit was a comfort not only to her but the rest of the family and we wouldn’t have known about it had we not taken the time and care to listen to her story.

2              Some spirits in your house or around your children may not come from your family tree. As it was the case with the house we live in. It's an old farmhouse and there are plenty of spirit shenanigans going on on a daily basis. As it turned out, the gentleman who built it was still around in his corporeal form after we have taken ownership of it and he took his cranky self to the kids room at night on occasion. Having not the heart to dispatch the old man from the house he built, we still wanted to take some steps to make the kids more comfortable sleeping in their own beds at night. We have put a sign on the door of their room that said loud and clear, "NO SPIRITS ARE ALLOWED!". That took care of that problem. They felt they have exerted their authority over their own room and who is allowed in and peace at night has returned once again. The old man was never felt or seen in that room again.

3              Sometimes it's hard for children to put into words what they see, especially if they have no concept of it, such as someone walking through a wall or hovering on the ceiling. In that case asking them to draw what they experienced will make it easier for them to recall the experience and getting them to talk about it. It also helps in getting the scale of what they experienced and some clues on how they feel about it.

4              Sometimes siblings will have shared experiences. Depending on their age and the age gap in between them, they might express their experiences differently. It's important to be supportive and listen to what they have to say and give them a platform that promotes trust and a feeling of not being alone with their experiences. Kids are naturally mediumistic and some will grow up keeping their ability and growing it, however some will push it into the background only for it to come out later in life in a higher intensity but with much less control.

5              Introducing concepts such as angels and spirit guides is all and well. However I would very much caution against labelling any sort of spirit or other paranormal experiences as evil. Apart from causing unnecessary stress for children, as they have no understanding of what it is other than it's bad, it can cause severe anxiety that will last for years and other disorders.

6              If you're concerned and you feel that you need to discuss your child's experiences,  I suggest that you do that away from your child. Children are very perceptive and will pick up on your beliefs about their experiences. They will need you to be the one they look to for comfort and as a confidant that won't laugh at them. You might not be of the opinion that what they experiences was real but to them it was.

In any case, the most important to remember is that if you are concerned about the mental or physical wellbeing of your child, you need to see an appropriate health professional without delay. 

My Top Tips for Séances

Séances are back in fashion or maybe they have never been out. Social media now makes it so easy to connect with people and communities with similar interests. Whether you are part of an online community or an offline one in the field of paranormal or spiritualism, you may have noticed that séances are starting to come out of the shadows of Penny Dreadful and are being enjoyed once again more widely. This once favourite Victorian past-time activity is enjoying a revival.

If you're not particularly keen on joining a paid event with bunch of people you have never met before  but rather take part in a séance with your friends on a Saturday night, here are some guidelines that will assist you in making the night enjoyable.

Who should I invite?

In my experience the ideal number of people to get around a table for a séance is between four and seven. There really isn't a rule as to minimum or maximum numbers. If you have any friends who have some psychic development under their belt then ask them to come along. It's a great opportunity for them to practice their new skills. If not, then there are plenty of mediums around who will come to your house for a reasonable fee to conduct a séance. Google is your friend in this case but do make sure that you pick someone reputable and experienced in leading séances.

What sort of setting will I need for a séance?

Séances are best conducted in comfortable spaces where all participants can sit around a table (our circle has a round table) and move around as needed. A space that is well ventilated that can be made dark and away from noise is ideal. Pick a time when there will be no other disturbances in the house and there is nowhere to rush off to afterwards. If you're doing this séance in your home, the best time is when all people present in the house during a séance actually participate in it. If that's not possible, ask them to keep noise and movement to a minimum.  Otherwise you and your séance buddies might mistaken their pottering about the house for genuine spirit phenomena.

What other things do I need?

There is no special equipment needed for séances unless you want to get into physical mediumship. If you're just starting out, it's unlikely that you will encounter phenomena that will need special equipment. It's good to have some paper and writing instruments on the table during the séance. We have found in our circle that often information will come through the medium that is worth writing down. The spirit coming through the medium on occasion requested pen and paper to write something down or even draw. Some candles will set the mood with incense though they are not necessary. A low light desk lamp is sufficient. If you're going for candles, use the ones in jars as the chance of spilling is the lowest. If you're using a lamp, try a red bulb, it is easier on the eyes when the room is dark. Some would recommend to put a bowl of water in the middle as a focal point, though I believe that is more tradition than actual necessity. Things like creaky chairs and tables should be avoided for obvious reasons and it's good practice to check for droughts beforehand. When your candle flame moves or you feel a cold breeze across your face, you want to make sure that you are able to discount all natural and obvious explanations.

What if something scary happens?

For séances, the atmosphere builds up over time through repeated sessions in the same place and , ideally, with the same people. It's unlikely that the energies will be very strong if you're only just starting out. If you're more comfortable with someone more seasoned leading the séance then engage a medium.They should have ample experience in dealing with the unexpected. However in the absence of such person, it's good practice to have a plan for any untoward events. Those plans may include things like providing grounding for anyone in need, have access to water to offer to anyone affected, assertively ending the session or saying a prayer if that is deemed to be required. There is one thing you shouldn't do however and that is to upset and disrupt the circle and abruptly leave the room in panic. If you think that you or any of the proposed participants may behave that way, it's best not to attend such an event.

The purpose of the event is to encounter spirit phenomena and that may come in many forms, such as sensation of being touched, voice heard, movements experienced or even channelling. So, don't run away when things start happening. The phenomena are unpredictable and you never know when you shall encounter  them and in what power. You also have to be prepared for not experiencing anything at all.

It's also good practice to document séances either by someone who can act as a scribe, or recording them on voice recorders or even a video camera if that's possible. This is good for several reasons. You may catch a possible EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) on your audio track or if you opted for video, you might record something unusual on the footage that correlates with the audio track or someone's experience during the session. Notes are handy when you have a spirit return to the circle to communicate as you will find that doing repeated and regular session, you will have your regulars and familiars making appearances from The Other Side.

The process of a séance session is a topic for another article as there are many schools of thought and different traditions dictate different rituals.

Top Tips For Making The Most Of Your Next Ghost Tour

There isn't a town nowadays that doesn't offer a ghost tour or two or at least a historic walk. Even I have been known to pop in a tour with my friends once in a while. If you're a serial ghost tourist, you probably wonder what new those tours can offer once you have been to so many of them.

Apart from the spooky stories and the obvious history component there are things you can do to spice things up a little, not only for yourself but for your companions too, especially if you're lucky enough to be attending with your mates instead of a partner who just tagged along to keep the peace and would rather spend the night watching cat videos on their phone than participate.

Here are some tips to make the most of your time on the tour.

1              Listen to the history. I mean, really listen to it. Those stories not only contain anecdotes of ghost sightings and gruesome events but also little morsels of important history of the country you live in. The historic buildings that you normally would just walk by without a second glance are places where pivotal events may have taken place. Many tours pay a particular attention to the historical component of their event and you will hear about local legends, intrigue and mystery.

2              Take a moment to imagine yourself being a part of history. What it must have been like to live in the particular era the building or site is from? Having a great imagination is a very important stepping stone to your psychic senses as it disengages us from our logical mind and allows us to perceive information that is not immediately visible and makes sense.

3              Participate in the activities, don't be a bystander. Tours offer activities such as staying in a cell on your own at gaols for lone vigils, partake in dress up re-enactments, have access to basic equipment such as cameras, voice recorders, EMF meters and the like. Don't be shy!

4              If you're not into dress ups or equipment, you can cut your teeth on some psychic development. Even if you don't encounter any active spirits on the night, residual energy and psychic imprints are easy enough to pick up by just about anyone. Whether old or fairly new, they are a good opportunity to get some hands on experience. Most tours would be familiar with psychic phenomena and will be able to guide you in your experience. Pay special attention to your emotions and your thoughts as they will be your psychic indicators. Voice what you feel whether you think it's relevant to the location or not as you will find that often the history of a site is more complex than it appears.

5              Last but not least, don't pay attention to those who treat those tours as a distraction. Rowdy and inconsiderate guests can ruin it for the rest of the tour group. Most operators will deal with them swiftly and decisively. If you feel uncomfortable by any other guest/s just let the tour operator know. Chances are that other feel the same way. People who don't take ghost tours as seriously as you do still buy tickets and think that their attitude and behaviour is somehow warranted and OK. You just go and do your psychic "thang", regardless.

Sydney as well as other capital cities in Australia have an abundance of great tours available to cater for all ghosty tastes so next time you're here, make sure that you book yourself and your friends tickets to at least one of them. Enjoy!

Kicking Off 2016 in Gaol

When you're in the paranormal field for as long as I have been, there is not much left that whets your paranormal appetite as much as a location you haven't investigated before. Gaols, psychiatric hospitals and other places of obvious trauma, staple locations for paranormal investigators, are in short supply nowadays so last night I grabbed the opportunity to get stuck into some work at Parramatta Gaol with my long time para gal pal, Beth Luscombe from Access Paranormal.

I started the night with taking some location shots with my Fujifilm XF1 but had to give up shortly as the originally fully charged battery expired only seven shots into my session. An inconvenience to say the least as I wanted to travel light on the night an didn't bring a spare batter or a charger even. Rookie mistake, one that I'm sure my partner in crime, Beth will not let me live down anytime soon.

We started off at the shower block, a sandstone building with the floor sunken into the ground about three feet deep. A small and largely featureless space with a tiled floor and walls with some of the shower roses still in place. This area had an interesting environment for audio with the natural echo the high ceiling and general interior sparseness created. The only features of this space were two benches and a laundry trolley. We decided it was as good an opportunity for an EVP session as any other.

While Beth reports that there were no EVPS captured, there were some interesting personal experiences during the session. I had several sensations of being touched, something I had given the spirits I was sensing permission for. One in particular, whom I sensed, paid special interest to my hair, playing with it before moving to the silver chain around my neck before I felt a hand around my neck tightening somewhat but never to the point of hurting me. It felt like a power play playing out that formed a  part of this man's personality while he was alive. He didn't speak or gave me any more information about himself at the time so we invited him to accompany us to the other structures on the ground of the gaol we were planning on visiting on the night.

We decided to try our luck in a building next that is largely ignored by people for some reason. We headed to the first floor with our torches and after exploring the level we settled on a cell where I heard a deep groaning sound from on our walk by.

The EVP has again revealed nothing conclusive but while in the cell I saw some mist forming evenly in the cell almost opposite the one we were in, across the concourse. 

to watch the this file, visit my Facebook page

The footage and audio recording we took didn't yield anything paranormal at the time. It was as this time that the batter on my near brand new phone where I was recording the video with was getting close to depletion, even though I started the night with an almost full charge.

We headed over to another cell block where a séance just finished. Shortly after entering the building a large metallic clanking sound was heard that was repeated a short time later. The direction of the sound was obvious and we agreed that it was coming from above us. I took the opportunity to scan through the first and second floors to establish whether anyone else was there to make those sounds and tried to find the source of the audible phenomena. It wasn't until I reached the middle of the second floor concourse that I found a possible source, a metal sheet placed across the wire mash connecting the two side of the concourse. As soon as I walked on it, it made a familiar sound, a groan under my weight. I was the only one on that floor and on my way up I hadn't come across anyone there, aside from a man who was a part of the tour and who witnessed the sound with me from the ground floor to begin with. The sound has repeated a few times later on during the night with no one in the vicinity other than the investigators on the ground floor with me.

All in all it was a great night and a perfect way to paranormally start the year.

Regular tours are run at Parramatta Gaol by APPI - Australian Paranormal Phenomenon Investigators

5 Fluff Free Meditating Tips For The Superbusy

According to Webster Online Dictionary, mediation is continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature. Yawn! This explanation is likely to put the most devout Buddhists off mediating, let alone a mum who's desperately looking forward the kids to go to bed so she can at least have 5 uninterrupted minutes in the bathroom. Or the busy professional who even works on the train on their way home from work after a 10 hour day.

When you hear the word meditation, what comes into your mind? Incense smoke filled yoga room with dreadlock and drawstring pants wearing people? A stack of never opened CDs you bought ages ago thinking you will have the time and dedication one day to "really get into it"? Or maybe an idyllic picture from your Facebook newsfeed showing a person sitting on a mountain top looking mighty serene and kind of full of inner peace smugness? I hear you!

Don't let all this dissuade you from at least trying it on for size. Bringing meditation into your every day is easier than it might seem. Let me share with you some ideas that I think will grow on you faster than you can say Namaste. These 5 top tips will not only help you get into meditation but will enhance your experience with psychic development.

1              Relaxation and Mindfulness

If you haven't done any meditation before, I suggest you try relaxation first and some mindfulness meditations or visualisations. These types of meditations are guided and on top of the soothing soundtrack of ocean waves, bird sounds and the like and you will have a person's voice taking you through a landscape of some kind usually. Sandy beaches, cool caves, lush forests are all popular choices. To start off with, choose something that is not too long. About 10-15 minutes will do. Choose a time when you won't be disturbed, turn your phone off and find a comfortable place to sit. I prefer a sitting position as it's just too easy to fall asleep during a relaxing meditation. As much as you want to enjoy it, unless it's bedtime, you want to get on with the rest of your day once you're finished.

2              Noise is Good

If guided meditations are not your cup of tea, I found that just a track of plain sounds is very effective. I have tried various background noises such as white noise, wind blowing, the sound of rain, drums, even whale songs. There is plenty of free material available online or inexpensive tracks on iTunes even. This type of meditation will allow you to be in the driver's seat and go wherever you want to go in your head.

3              Your Happy Place

You will be much more inclined to spend time meditating if you have a comfortable, inviting, cozy place to go to in your head if you're not using guided meditation. You can create the space you want in your head, even the path you get there on. Lack of imagination is not an excuse here as you can also go back to physical places in your thoughts where you really enjoyed yourself in the past or felt peace and calmness. I have a temple space I visualise, where I go to in regular meditations.

4              Thoughts Be Gone

I used to think that meditating means to be completely thought free until I met a yoga teacher who taught me something invaluable and I pass it onto everyone I teach. Don't fight your thoughts when they come into your head. It's natural to have those floating through your mind, even when meditating. If you're focused on keeping them out and fighting to push them out of your head once they enter, your focus is not on your meditation but your mental processes. Imagine that those thoughts that come into your head during meditations are like lithe leaves, being blown into your mindscape during meditation and see them float out of your head as effortlessly as they floated in. Acknowledge each thought and let it drift on and the next one and the next one until there aren't any more. Most of all, don't give yourself a hard time if you're not successful right away. Meditation is called a practice for a reason.

5              Keep It Simple If You Go Off Track

One of my issues during meditation used to be that I often "came out of it" really suddenly and was unable to go back into that relaxed state. Or during guided meditations I would drift away and completely off the path that the guidance was, especially during psychic development classes. I would find it difficult to re-focus once that happened and I would spend the rest of meditation time either with my eyes closed, fully aware and trying not to fall asleep in front of everyone in the circle or beating myself up in my thoughts for not keeping on task. Another technique I learnt from my yoga teacher helped me overcome that issue as well. Whenever I felt myself drifting or coming out of meditation, I would re-focus my thoughts on my breath. As I was inhaling and exhaling, very deliberately, I would feel the rise and fall of my chest and continue with that practice until I was back on track. Some people in my circles found that focusing on their heartbeat works better for them and that is perfectly fine. This is also helpful at the beginning of a meditation session as it helps centring and balancing the mind, priming it for a great meditation.

The Naked Medium

By Andrea Kaldy

I love Jamie Oliver! I have for a long time. Ever since this fresh-faced Brit took TV by storm back in Y2K and revolutionised cooking for millions (I'm pretty sure) of devotees with his simple, back to basics style of cooking. I knew that it was that simple, uncomplicated and utterly transparent way of handling food that got me from the start and kept me watching his shows religiously. The Naked Chef, his first show was aptly named. In the intro you can hear him saying, "it's not me, it's the food!". I have to admit, the first time I had encountered the show title, without knowing what it was about, I marked it on Foxtel to make sure I wouldn't miss it. Who wouldn't want to watch a hot young chef standing behind a kitchen counter, cooking food on TV … naked. Ok, ok , I know it's not a visage for everyone to picture …

You can imagine my surprise when the show wasn't what I thought it was going to be. No bare butts, no strategically placed kitchen items, no misty camera shots or clever angles. Anyway, this is not an ode to the Naked Chef or any sort of cooking show in fact. This article is about the Naked Medium. You can be forgiven if you're now conjuring up pictures in your mind of attractive young women running around in dark buildings, talking to the dead while naked. You couldn't be further from the truth! As lucrative as it sounds for a paranormal reality show pitch, it's really not the idea I was going for. By naked, I mean using nothing but the simplest, most transparent methods of communicating with the dead.

I see many psychics, mediums, chanellers (for the purpose of this article I will call them communicators) pulling out all sorts of paraphernalia when contacting the dead. From crystal balls to crystal grids, to complicated symbols, amulets, cards, and who know what else. My personal favourite is the all purpose carry on spirit guide that is constantly on the ready like an eager genie in a bottle to pop up on request to dispense advice (often unsolicited) to others or produce vague though seemingly relevant information and even be an intermediary between the communicators and the dead. Many a time I breathed a sigh in exasperation as I was reading about, listening to or watching such practices being carried out, especially in the paranormal, my chosen field of mediumship.

I observed students of mediumship starting to use those "tools" as they were expanding on their communication skills. But as everything, even mediumship has a natural way of evolving and some students do well allowing for that natural process to take place and eventually they let go of those crutches while some never do.

Any intuitive work, including mediumship is firmly based on trusting oneself and that trust, like a kind of compass, is based on the fine calibration of the very few, simple parts that make it up and its accuracy in showing information is closely dependent on the skills of the one who uses it. In fact, there are things that may interfere with the accuracy of the instrument and can lead to misdirection. Our internal compass we use for communicating with the Other Side or gather information via psychic channels is the same. If we are not careful, our finely tuned and precision instrument can lead us astray and we can get bogged down in shallow, in essence meaningless and distracting details.

For many, their skills never go passed this point and their lack of confidence in their own compass, accompanied by fear means they will forever rely on external factors to aide them in their work. I never understood the need for those things when I knew that direct communication with the dead can be achieved. It's a lot of work and it requires commitment but what it requires the most of is the willingness to take full and complete responsibility for what comes out one's mouth when working as a communicator. "Spirit told me", or "my guide/angel/ascended master told me to tell you" etc seems  nothing more than a complacent passing off of the responsibility for the information that a communicator is producing. 

What this field needs in my view is full accountability and transparency from communicators. Clarity of process as well as language that doesn't rely on any occult, spiritual or religious mumbojumbo and affords easy understanding to anyone without the extended need to delve into complicated, obsolete and obscure practices that are more ritualistic and obscure to the observer.

Strip down your mediumship and look at what you are using and relying on that has no real value in the communication process. Things that you have become accustomed to in a habitual way. There is no reason why we shouldn't be able to contact the dead directly and I encourage all seekers on this path to have the courage to leave behind the crutches, go beyond the fear of having to take sole and complete responsibility for your communication and enjoy the confidence it eventually brings in your ability as a communicator. The rewards are worth it because you will be able to experience the contact between this world and the next in a deeper  and much more direct way. Get naked in your communications,  all you need to talk to the other side is you! Simple, uncomplicated, transparent building blocks of pure skill. Just that.

Consulting the High Priestess - A Tarot Ritual

For most people maybe Tarot cards and herbs are not often seen as working together. For me however, the woody scents of mugwort, lavender and many other herbs is something that is inseparable from my Tarot work. Not only do they keep my precious cards that I use for readings company but have provided a source of liberating wisdom in home circles as well as during my solitary practice as a witch in ritual. Luckily most herbs used for opening the psychic senses are easily accessible and may can even be grown in our gardens with no fuss at all.

It has been many a time that I have made myself a fortifying cup of mugwort tea with a hint of rose and lemon balm before sitting down for a reading. The steaming cup sitting on my reading table. I even made a special blend that I use for ritual purposes when I want to connect with the archetypes of my Tarot and use it to scatter it on the floor, making a circle of working space, my little haven for my magickal Tarot work. In this article I share with you this blend and the use of it, hoping that you will derive as much pleasure out of it as I have been for a long time now.

 

Take one part of mugwort, rose petals, lemon balm, a bay leaf or two half of eyebright. If you're intending to use this blend as an incense, you might add some sandalwood chips or frankincense to make the smell more pleasant.  Mix the herbs together in a bowl while imbuing the mix with your intention for its use. You may want to chant something like:

"Herbs of sight, bring your might, show what's hidden, bring to light."

Keep in a separate container, labelled with the name of the mix and when you made it. If you want to use it with your cards, just put some in a callico or organza bag and keep with your card. I keep the bulk of my mix in a pretty glass container. I use that to mark out a circle when I cast in my temple space before I begin working with my Tarot. You can also use this blend as an incense to burn it on a charcoal disk.

This month I have also included another ritual to go with your psychic circle blend that will bring you even closer to your inner high priestess.

If you pull out all the High Priestess cards from your decks, (that is assuming that you are like me and one deck only just won't do) and put them next to each other you will notice one thing that seems to be common in most cards. She is depicted wearing a white dress. Some would say it’s due to her position as a priestess that she chooses to remain a virgin to be bound by no man. I partially agree with this, however it’s not the only reason I think. Her independence is not only prevalent in her being in her own power but also in the fact that she is ready to receive any hidden knowledge without any prejudice, there are no ingrained behaviours that would prevent her from gaining new understanding. This to me also signifies purity of mind.

Instead of only using rational knowledge that comes from learning through experiencing, she has the power, the tools and means to access the limitless universal knowledge and therefore glean things that would otherwise remain hidden to those not privy to those skills. She not only sees what is happening in the world but also the reason behind it. Consult her when you need to connect with the wiser you to make a decision where you feel like you don’t have all the facts or when all options seem to be blocked.

To connect with you inner High Priestess, the wiser you, try this simple ritual. You will need a pomegranate, a paring knife and a plate, pen and notepad, white tea light candle, incense or oil of sage or sandalwood, The High Priestess Tarot card or a printed picture of it.

Find yourself a quiet space where you will not be disturbed for about half-an-hour. Put on some soothing music if you like. Light you candle and incense or oil in an oil burner. Write down on your notepad a question that you need clarification on or a problem you need insightful help with. Cast your circle and scatter your psychic herb blend in a circle around you, marking out the space where you will be performing your ritual.

Sit while you concentrate on your breathing until your mind is settled down. Invoke the image of The High Priestess on your card in your mind as if she were sitting opposite you, giving you a reading. Ask her your question or tell her about the problem you need her assistance with.

Sit with her for a little while she connects with you. When she signals you that she’s ready, just bring your awareness back to your space a little bit. Cut the pomegranate in half and offer her some of the seeds in exchange for her help. Take your pen and notepad and start writing down the information she’s giving you while snacking on the pomegranate seeds yourself. Write until you’ve exhausted all the knowledge she was giving you.

Leave your notes for a day or two, but at least for a few hours, then go back through them again and make your decision. If you're planning on using the blend as a tea, please make sure that you omit the bay leaves and check the rest of the herbs with a herbalist to make sure you're not taking something that might compromise your health should you ingest it.

5 Easy and Practical Ways to Ground Yourself and Others During Investigations

What is this grounding I speak of? Is this a mystical term only known in the psychic realms? The short answer is, no. It's an exercise that helps you by bringing your mind and your body back into alignment with eachother. Ever been to a party where you just couldn't help but being caught up in the atmosphere, even after it was over? Maybe a sports event where the high of your team winning and the crowd roaring and cheering is still giving you a buzz long after the stadium lights are off? Well, this is where your body is so caught up in a form of vibration that is not its normal state that it finds it difficult to connect with your mind as normal. You might feel light headed, heavy, like swimming in mud or even nauseous, with murky thoughts and in general not being yourself. All in all, you don't want to be sitting in dark, dank buildings in this state and you definitely don't want to get into your car to drive home after a night of intense investigation.

Here are some ideas on what to do when you notice that either you or someone else in your company is "off with the fairies" as I say.

1. You can take the term "grounding" very literally. Having as much bodily contact with the ground as possible is an excellent way to get grounded. Go outside and lie down on the ground. If not possible to go outside, just get onto the ground where you are. For maximum effect, turn the palms of your hand downward. Visualise a flow of energy  from your body down into the earth until you feel like you're back to your normal self. Get up very slowly. First just sit up for a few minutes, then get slowly back onto your feet. If you can't lie down, just sit on the ground and focus on the contact point between the floor and the base of your spine. Use it as an energy highway to ground any excess and unwanted energy.
2. Another excellent way to get back into your body, and this works wonderfully after séances, trance sessions or even lone vigils, is to have a list of information you recite. This allows your thoughts to come back to the present and your everyday being. This list can comprise of simple things such as your full name, address, names of children or friends, your car's number plate, your favourite movies, basically anything that relates your day to day life. If you're helping to ground someone else with this method, just ask them open ended questions about themselves that require simple and routine replies. Eg. list five things in your wallet right now, what do you have in your toolbox, what is your favourite TV show etc. If they have trouble answering those questions, it may very well be an indicator that they are not "fully back" to themselves and further grounding is needed.
3. For those who are into crystal, I can recommend using stones such as black tourmaline, clear or smokey quartz or even hematite or citrine. You should carry at least a few of these in your kit as people may react differently to each stone. I must admit I am somewhat partial to black tourmaline and I find it works best for me. I keep it in my kit away from sunlight and moisture and pop it into my pocket or bra for use during situations when I need some extra oomph with grounding.
4. A much more mundane however sometimes inconvenient way to ground is to sit down for a meal. Digestion and the unavoidable social interaction that comes with eating is a good way to bring the energy down and somewhat force the mind back into alignment with the physical body. Best to avoid foods with any sort of stimulant such as caffeine, sugar or alcohol as they will have a counter-effect to what you want to achieve in the first place. Lots of water during investigations is always a good idea to keep up your electrolytes. You'll thank me for that the day after any investigation. Trust me, been there, done that, bought the t-shirt.
5. And last but not least, if you can, do some physical exercise. Even brisk walking will do the trick if done long enough. Stop for a few minutes during investigations when you feel like your loosing your connection and have the symptoms described in the first paragraph. Play a game with your team that will require some physical exertion, laugh, move your body, even if just a little. Remember to hydrate well during and after.

As always, observe safety while investigating and use common sense when deciding whether to continue an investigation or not. Safety first, be it psychic or physical. Happy hunting folks!