Have you ever tried to “test” a psychic? Some callers think, mistakenly, that starting off with some sort of “test” will increase their chances of choosing a good psychic or getting an accurate reading. Ironically, it usually has the opposite effect. Read on for an interesting case study.
Strange misunderstandings happen sometimes when I talk with clients. Most of them are based on people’s common misconceptions about how psychic abilities really work. The following incident illustrates some key points.
First of all, I must point out that anyone who calls with a skeptical or adversarial attitude is already decreasing their chances of an effective reading. Why? One of my chief gifts is empathy, and if I am being barraged with distrustful or defensive feelings it is very difficult to get past them to shed light on the client’s issues and concerns. The negative feelings in a case like that are shouting so loudly that it is difficult to hear the whispers of more useful information.
Sometimes, after I have just given a great deal of insight which the client has conceded is accurate, they suddenly decide to “test” me in some odd way that they think will tell them whether they should follow my advice. My guess is that some people are looking for an excuse to avoid following the corrective advice which I have given, or worse yet, want to discount the information so that they can feel justified in calling a different reader who will tell them what they want to hear (a very lucrative practice which I avoid, as it is highly unethical).
Here is an example: a few months ago, I read for a very agitated woman who had just been through a series of distressing personal events. Sadly, she was apparently accustomed to the fake type of readers who simply make interesting or reassuring “predictions” with no sense of responsibility for their clients, as she kept pushing for answers in a pre-decided format.
Having shared some penetrating insights into her situation, which she admitted were correct, I was offering advice which would have enabled her to RESHAPE her situation for her optimal benefit (my specialty), rather than just making “predictions” of what would happen if she continued on her current course. My sense of ethics and responsibility to my clients dictates that I always keep their best interests uppermost, even when they themselves are trying to push me in another direction.
Before I continue, I should point out a couple of things about myself. First of all, for me deceased persons and pets are largely perceived as living beings. This is because I am tuning in to the mind, emotions and intentions of the person or animal in question, as well as the caller’s feelings about them, and I perceive them in much the same fashion whether they are still on the earth plane or have passed over to the other side.
Secondly, when a reading indicates very bad news or serious conflict, I always do my best to present my findings as gently and tactfully as I can. I have spoken with many callers while they were in a very vulnerable emotional state (as this client was), and while I never hide the truth of what I see, I know better than to deliver potentially shocking information in a blunt or sudden manner.
Back to the client, who had suddenly decided to “test” me: “I would like for you to tell me about someone named Tabitha,” she said. I immediately had a chilly feeling about the person in question but, determined to do all I could for my client, I forged ahead. In a situation like this, dealing with an agitated person and an emotional energy which is uncomfortable to touch directly, I selected a couple of symbols from a healing deck which I use for such purposes. This helped to give me a bit of distance and objectivity, while still channeling the needed information. The two symbols which I drew regarding Tabitha were very highly charged.
As usual, in beginning to explain what I was picking up, I attempted to ease into the implications of the symbols before me, so as not to alarm the client. I own a large number of healing decks, but the one I used for this session was The Motherpeace Deck (copyright Karen Vogel and Vicki Noble). The first card for Tabitha was the Seven of Wands, which in this deck shows a person who desperately needs to say something, to be heard, to speak up for herself. The image of this card, (which I scanned in for the purposes of this article), is here:
The second image was even more disturbing in its implications, for it traditionally is the “irreparable loss, point of no return” card: the Ten of Swords. The card in this deck depicts the final scene from an incident in ancient history, in which a group of women jumped to their deaths rather than be captured and made into slaves, or worse. They committed suicide rather than face what, to them, seemed a fate worse than death. Here is a scanned image of that card:
Now, doing my best to overcome my own sense of doom and disaster around these symbols, and also trying to avoid upsetting an already agitated client, I began to talk about how she needed to be very careful with regard to this person. I began explaining that Tabitha seemed to have some unresolved things which she very much needed to say to her, and that on one side of the connection or the other, there was overwhelming stress and a sense of despair.
Scarcely had I got a few sentences of this out (all of which was accurate as far as it went) when the client burst out, “She committed suicide!” and hung up on me. Sadly, her own agitation and suspicious attitude had cut her off from the information she might have received, in fact was receiving, and most likely she considered the “test” a failure.
After this call, I sat shaking my head over the stunning accuracy of the symbols and impressions which had come to me, as well as the sad irony that the client had apparently managed to give herself the impression of the exact opposite. My main concern, as always, was that the caller somehow get the help and insight she needs to improve her situation, whether she chooses to receive it from me or from another source. I certainly wish her all the best.
It’s not easy being an ethical reader in the midst of “psychic” fakes and predators. Clients are often misled, and many tend to be too trusting of the wrong kinds of “advice” while balking at the kinds of insight and advice which could be of genuine benefit to them. It’s not always rewarding to stick to principles when people often try to push me into questionable or useless practices.
But I shall persist, for my own self-respect (and the respect of discerning clients) means more to me than any other considerations. I will continue to empower my clients, rather than enabling them to feel like pawns of “fate.” I will continue to help them take effective roles in re-shaping their lives in positive ways. I will continue giving the information that I perceive as most helpful, as accurately and compassionately as I can. And I will continue to offer the best of myself, and the best of my abilities, for those who are ready to benefit from this level of insight and assistance.
I will also continue to do what I can to educate my clients, for their own benefit, on the dangers and pitfalls of the many “psychic” scams and the general misinformation that is rampant in the minds of the general public. Why? Because if it helps even one person, it will have been worth my time and effort.
Blessings and best wishes to all of you. May we all walk our paths with ever-increasing integrity, clarity and goodwill.
