Am I Psychic?

A question I get asked regularly is: Can anyone be psychic?

Well in short - Yes!
We are all psychic, to a greater or lesser extent. Some are the Michael Schumacher’s of the psychic world, natural talent and great drive to use their ‘gifts‘. The rest of us are capable of being psychic through study and development. And tapping into to our deep intuition.
Being psychic or deeply intuitive is simply a case of using another sense which we all possess. Often psychic skills have different ways of expressing themselves.

Just as some of us are more open to auditory expression than others, they maybe use phrases like ‘I hear what you are saying‘ Another may be more empathic and feel what another is feeling or experiencing.

I am for example; a very visual person and that is reflected in my strongest psychic ability which is Clairvoyance. I can ‘see’ auras and can see many different energy fields. Some of what I see is commonly termed as ghosts, although I tend to feel that visualising ghosts is an effective way that the minds gives meaning and form to the energy shifts I am witnessing.

I am also, psychically tuned in to what people are thinking, which is often their true, but sometimes unexpressed thoughts. Clair cognizance – the ability to know clearly without any obvious means.

For me this is a particularly useful ability in my work with the Tarot.
Importantly not all psychics have all the skills. In psychic terms I am deaf as a post! Clair audience is not an area that has developed for me. Not even a peep! If you’ll excuse the pun.
Of recent, through developmental work, I am finding that my skills in Past Life Viewing – the ability to accurately view a person’s past life, have grown and are starting to be useful in the work that I am doing.

The point is just as most of us taste, smell, hear, touch and see so these senses are taken to a greater depth.
It can be hard to ‘believe’ what we are experiencing on our initial trips into psychic experience. We are conditioned to ‘believe’ that only what can be defined is reality. Be that through language, science, social and religious training.

But many of these are only in their infancy…think what scientific advances have been made in the last 100 years..imagine what a 1000 years will bring!
We have been on this earth for a very long time, and have the habit of dismissing old idea’s and beliefs. But our old instinctive knowledge and understanding still comes through. Much of the psychic awareness is based in survival skills we learned long ago passed down through genetic memory.
How limited our religious teachings can be - not because they are wrong or any less important but because these systems are not in the business of self exploration! They are here to give us stability and give society structure.
And the limitations of language can be a mine field when trying to explain the (currently) unexplainable! Try to describe what being in love feels like…countless artists, writer’s, poet’s, and philosopher’s over the centauries have tried to communicate the state of love, but once in solid form it often loses it’s potency. Just as trying to describe an aura or the sensation of a spinning chakra.
The surety that we just ‘know’ or ’feel’ can be incredibly strong. That gut reaction is hard to pin down but it’s there , as clear as day! And that is the basis for many of the psychic experiences we have.

Much of understanding and progressing as a psychic is trust.
Trust in your self and trust in the universe that there is more than what you can simply see.
Trust also that you are not going mad! I joke not, when my psychic abilities came to the fore I truly questioned my sanity and sought guidance through the church and others. Thankfully, I realised that I was not going nuts, and began to take tentative steps towards a fuller and deeper world.
You may find that you are already well on the way to developing your psychic skills and you are seeking guidance and support in this. It can also be a deeply personal and spiritual journey developed through mediation and other techniques.
Psychic development can be a very practical and wonderfully rewarding thing to share. Being able to advice, comfort and enlighten people is incredible!
We are all psychic it is merely a case of taking steps into a wider world!

Snow

It's snowing today...sadly not the beautiful powdery, dry snow of the Alps but the wet, slush of Edinburgh!

However it has inspired me to look into any tarot cards that may depict snow.

5 of Pentacles often has snow. The imagery of snow deals with being "out in the cold," isolation, and exposure to harsh conditions. However, anyone who has stepped outside just after a fresh snow can tell you the beauty is stunning. Clean, crystalline, and quiet. These are also symbolic qualities of snow.

When the flakes fall in your eyes it is a matter of perspective - we can either see the snow as isolation or we can see it as a fresh clean blanket - waiting for us to make a few snow angels in it.

I found this stunning looking deck Fantastical Creatures Tarot and the Death card has this snowy scene with Fenris-Wolf.

The The Fairytale Tarot has The Chariot with the Snow Queen, which is very wintery and highlights the cold, arrogant aspect of this card in readings.

The Viking Tarot depict the pips in a seasonal order and here is the Queen of Chalices.

Tarot for All Seasons: Celebrating the Days and Nights of Power Combining Tarot and the seasonal lunar and solar festivals of the year, with seasonal tarot spreads and each holiday has its own section explaining its traditions and associations, and listing appropriate ritual types for the season; associated tarot cards, scents, magical 'brews' and candle colours.

2, 3, 4 of Swords

Two of Swords

The Two is holding the world at bay. The crossing of the heart allowing no emotion through, similarly the blindfold to stop involvement with people and their emotions. The fear and anger are in balance, leaving the figure tense between them. In a reading this can be a very positive card showing us that we maybe able to hold the turmoil at bay whilst the clarity of the swords helps us see through the problems. It can show us that we have strength, but the lesson is to remove the the blindfold and learn to accept love and emotions. Anger and fear are not ultimately useful tools to us.

This state can make us rash and prone to anger and resentment. If the balance is upset then it is easy to become overcome by problems.

Three of Swords

Heartbreak, sorrow, pain...not the most promising start! True sorrow can teach us to move beyond it, let our hearts know truth and become strong. Knowledge and comprehension give us great strength, we need not fear. Grow and transform these pains into love and accpetance.

Be wary that the healing doesn't beomce blocked. Do not push the hurts away and try to forget them, this weakens us.

Four of Swords

The Four is withdrawal. Sometimes this is through our inability to function in the world, and understand the people around us. Other times, withdrawal is important to rest and allow us to grow stronger to win over our problems. However, it is often outside energy that is needed to help bring us back into the world. Sometimes people need to reach us and shake us out of our retreat and at others, situations will.

The Winter Suit

In tarot circles there are many conflicting views as to what suit is attributed to each season.

I think it is often wise to work within the deck you are using, as the artist has often coloured appropriately.

However, if it is not overtly clear then I usually go with:

Cups: Summer

Pentacles: Spring

Wands: Autumn

Swords: Winter

And with that I thought I'd spend the next posts exploring the Swords, for a nice winter theme!

Ace of Swords

Aces are the essence of the suit, the core, the root. They are clear and untroubled by complexity, perhaps they can be seen as the ideal, the standard for which to aim.

They can come at the beginning of the suit e.g ace through king. Or as Waite uses them from the king counting down to the ace. From worldly status and responsibility to spiritual clarity and truth.

The Ace of Swords is like ice water being splashed in your face! It is intellect. Cutting through emotions and illusions, you gain true perception and truth. We need the Ace to balance the emotional intuition derived from the Ace of Cups. How can we take action and use our strengths if we cannot think clearly?

The Ace of Swords can remind us to keep a grip on reality. And not to allow illusion to colour our vision. Often we need this Ace to put things into perspcetive. Relationships may seem more intense than they really are, emotions can be violently flowing through us. Understanding the balance that the Ace of Swords brings, can helps us control these impluses.