Have you ever thought about someone and then got a call or a message from them minutes later? Have you ever been instantly repelled by or felt connected to someone the moment they walked into the room? Have you had a dream that gave you the just the right message you needed for situation you were facing? Maybe you had a daydream about a car accident only to be stopped by that very same scene on your way home from work – an accident you could have been in had your meeting not ran late. Or maybe you just lost a loved one and during your grieving process, you smell them and suddenly feel an overwhelming sense of comfort and peace.
All of these are examples of your intuitive and psychic gifts. If you want to know the difference between these, check out my previous post Intuitives, Psychics, and Mediums – Oh My! Which is which, and does that make them a witch?
Now, I know you might be having an allergic reaction to the term psychic due to the stigma associated with it. But let me put your mind at ease. According to the Dictionary.com, psychic is first defined as “of or relating to the human soul or mind; mental (opposed to physical).” That doesn’t sound so scary, right?
What is an Intuitive or Psychic gift?
The most common gifts include empathic abilities, the 5 clairs, and mediumship. I’ll give a super brief overview here.
I consider empathic abilities the most “mainstream”. Empaths can feel and absorb the emotions and feelings of those around them, including people, animals, and spirit. They can take on the feelings as if they were their own.
The 5 clairs match the 5 senses, and you may already be familiar with them.
Clairvoyance, or clear seeing, is seeing images in your mind’s eye like a daydream. It may be a full scene, or it may just be flashes of images. For example, close your eyes and imagine a bonfire. Imagine everything from how big it is, to what the flames look like.
Clairaudience, or clear hearing, is when you hear words, phrases, sounds or music in your mind’s ear. For example, that fire that we were just imagining…what does it sound like? Can you hear the crackle of the burning wood?
Clairsentience, or clear feeling, is when we tune into the emotions or physical pain of those around us. Which can include spirit. This is different from an Empath in that a Clairsentient not only feels and can absorb the emotional or physical pain, but they also get information and details about the situation.
Clairalience, or clear smelling, is the ability to smell odors that don’t have a physical source. The smell of tobacco that your father used to smoke, the perfume that your grandmother used to wear, or the wet dog smell of your passed fur baby are all signs that your loved ones are near.
Clairgustance, or clear tasting, is the ability to taste something that doesn’t have a physical source. Again, this is usually something that will remind us of a loved one to let you know they are near.
Claircognizance, or clear knowing, is the ability to just know something that is not common knowledge for that person. Thoughts may suddenly pop not our head out of nowhere. This one happened for me when my sister got pregnant. I just had this feeling that she was before she told the family (many moons ago).
Mediums can raise their frequency through meditation or the like to connect with spirit (loved ones on the other side) and be the messenger between you and spirit. Mediumship is a three-way conversation in that it does require the Medium’s energy, your energy, and spirit’s energy.
I don’t think I have intuitive or psychic gifts.
Whether we recognize it or want to admit it or not, we all have intuitive (and psychic) abilities. Think back over your life. Do you remember examples of any or all the above?
If you are anything like me, you may believe in these things, but not think that you have any of these abilities yourself.
As a lifelong student of spirituality and the metaphysical, I had piles of evidence that I had many of these gifts, including many others in the industry telling me I did. But I still didn’t believe them. Sure, I could admit I was an empath. But a psychic and a medium? No. Not me.
Developing Intuitive Gifts
There are many ways in which you can develop your gifts. There are tons of online programs, coaches, mentors, books, and the like to help you. Throughout the years, I’ve read dozens of books, and taken several online programs.
But because I still had one foot in the spiritual closet due to my professional career, I never practiced with others. Which is ESSENTIAL for learning and growing. It wasn’t until I left my corporate life that I finally decided to come out of the spiritual closet fully.
Luckily, my curiosity was stronger than my stubbornness and denial of my own gifts.
Enter Jess Bubbico, better known as Jess the Intuitive.
My Adventures with an Intuitive Development Mentor
I was first introduced to Jess the intuitive from my incredible speaker coach Alex Agresta. I was having coffee with Alex in Colorado, chatting about business when I said I was looking for an Intuitive to interview for my new Spiritually Curious blog. Alex said I had to meet her near and dear friend, Jess.
An incredible reading and an interview later, Jess invited me to join a small intuitive development group. I was in! I signed up for her small 8-week group program with little to no expectations of what may come of it.
I was in a group with 3 other healthy skeptics of their own abilities, so I knew I was in good company. We started with “reading” names after a grounding, clearing, and connecting meditation. For me, things came through as images, feelings, and just knowing.
I totally felt like I was just making things up, like it was my imagination. But Jess came back with information from the people we were reading, and we all started to get validation and confirmation of the information we were bringing through. That’s when Jess told me, like so many others, that I am a Medium.
In week 2 or 3, Jess invited us to do a live reading with some of her alumni.
Oh boy did I resist.
Still doubting my gifts, I said “I’m out running errands.” That was my response to Jess when she messaged me to see if I was going to jump online and do a live reading. She called me out in a very kind and loving way. “YAY resistance! Totally normal, it’d be WEIRD if you did not have resistance! Can you run errands afterwards by chance? These gals have been through this and will support you through the reading, promise.” To which I responded, “Feeling the fear and planning on doing it anyway. Lol! Boy do I love making myself uncomfortable. But…I always say, you gotta get uncomfortable to grow.”
My first live reading was messy, awkward, and full or fear and doubt. But at the end of the reading, the sitter and Jess both said, “You are a very gifted Medium.” I think I again said “No. I’m not a Medium. I don’t see people and have two-way conversations with them.”
That’s when Jess coached me on what it is like to be a Medium. While it is different for everyone, we worked through what it meant and how it showed up for me. After several other live readings, I finally admitted I am a Medium. And suddenly so many other experiences and situations over my life made sense.
How I use My Gifts Today
Today, I use my intuitive and psychic gifts in readings, healings, and coaching. I also use them in my day to day life. It is now an integrated part of me. Which makes life SO much more fun.
Building trust and confidence in my own intuitive gifts, along with my experience and understanding of Human Design, helps me live a life more aligned with my true self and my true nature. It guides my decision making, it helps me understand how and when to use or replenish my energy, and it helps me continue to grow spiritually.
If you are interested in developing your intuitive gifts, I STRONGLY recommend getting a mentor. Of course, I’m super biased based on my experience. I recommend working with Jess.
Connecting with Jess
If you are Interested in working with Jess, you can sign up for her next intuitive development cohort (enrollment fills fast!), book a reading, check out her podcast by visiting www.JesstheIntuitive.com, or connect with her on Facebook or Instagram.
Stay curious, friends!
Photo credit: Free photo 95740184 © creativecommonsstockphotos – Dreamstime.com
