I regularly see evidence that lots of people don’t fully understand how psychics and mediums and the world of Spirit works. Furthermore, they are unsure whether a medium is good, bad or indifferent. The situation isn’t helped when some mediums talk themselves up into something they most definitely are not. To get the best guidance from psychics and mediums, there are a few things you should consider.

What’s the difference?

Each of us has psychic ability, but whether we are aware of it or know how to use it is something else. There’s a school of thought that psychics are made and mediums are born, but I dispute that, and so do most people I know.

There is a distinct difference between working psychically and working as a medium, but both of these intuittive aspects of spiritual work can be enhanced with training. This article explains the difference much more clearly than I can, but in nutshell, psychics work mainly with the living, drawing on guidance from the other side of life, while mediums actually blend with the energies of those in Spirit.

What can you expect from a reading?

All psychic work is based on energy. In fact, the Universe is all about energy, because even inanimate objects have an energetic vibration. It’s tuning into these energies that helps psychics and mediums to bring you information and advice that is readily available to you, as long as you know how to access it .

In psychometry, the energies of a piece of jewellery or another personal possession can reveal a lot about the owner, and it’s also possible to do a psychic reading from a photograph. Mediums and psychics who work with law enforcement agencies can connect with the energies of items belonging to missing people or murder victims and provide evidence that is impossible to glean from other sources.

So, there’s a lot that mediums and psychics can do, but what can you expect from a reading? More importantly, how can you tell if the practitioner is genuinely gifted with psychic abilities? Those seeking help from the world of Spirit are often traumatised and/ or vulnerable, so it’s important that those they seek help from are well placed to deliver it.

Someone who talks about ‘their’ gifts, without listening to what you need from your reading is motivated by ego to some extent. We do not decide to work with Spirit – we are chosen. And we are mere channels for everything that comes through. The Upstairs Team are the ones calling the shots and directing the action. The psychic or medium you connect with should not be on a power trip – your reading is all about you, not them.

Common misconceptions

Another misconception with mediums is that they can call up the spirits of loved ones to order. No medium, however well connected to Spirit, can guarantee to bring through your father who passed a few weeks back, or Great Aunt Agatha, so that you can thank her for leaving you all her worldly goods.

In fact, we can’t guarantee to bring anyone through, because Spirit will not come through for a third party just to say hello. It takes a lot of energy to speak through someone else, and they will only come through with an important message that they need to pass on. Spirit can – and do – visit loved ones often, and you may sense them around you, even if you don’t consider yourself to be psychic.

Some of the information may be trivial, rather than jaw-dropping. That’s usually just to confirm your loved one really is around. I had a gentleman come through for someone in the audience at my first demonstration of mediumship, and I had difficulty pinning him down to a member of the audience, as he’d passed some time ago. I asked for an up to date confirmation, and he told me about a friendly disagreement about how carrots should be prepared for cooking. From that, the right person was able to take the message, even though she had never known the messenger from Spirit in life.

Working with spirit

Working with Spirit is so much more than just ‘Talking to dead people,’ although that’s a common misconception. It’s about helping the living to deal with their challenges and make the best choices for themselves and those around them. A lot of people are sceptical about this.

When I was attending psychic development training, my husband was very sceptical, and always had a sarcastic remark ready for me to come home to. One day, he asked if I’d been talking to my father, who passed many years before we got together. ‘Yes, I have,’ I replied. ‘He’s really looking forward to meeting you next week’. There were no more silly remarks after that, and my husband was very subdued over the next few days!

That anecdote wasn’t just to make you smile – although laughter raises the vibrations. It links neatly to my next point. No psychic or medium with any integrity will deliver bad news. Spiritual work is about upliftment and easing worries, not causing more stress or heartache. All genuine messages from Spirit are positive. You won’t be told you have inoperable cancer, or that Uncle George won’t be coming to your Christmas party because he’ll be with the Angels by then.

That doesn’t mean to say it’s all sweetness and light. If you need a warning from Spirit, you’ll get it, but the medium or psychic will deliver it in a positive and empathetic way. This is so as not to cause further distress or worry. For example, you might get a message that the pain in your chest needs investigating, so get it checked out so you can get the right treatment. You will only receive information that is in your best interests.

Having a reading from a medium or psychic, whether one to one or at a demonstration, should be a positive, fulfilling experience. If you know what to expect, and if the practitioner is working with humility and love, it certainly will be. Go to your reading with an open mind, and prepare to be amazed!

Image credit: Rai Woods, November 2016