The word ‘clairvoyant’  puzzles people most. So I want to discuss this today and other terms.

The word clairvoyance means clear seeing. Clairaudience, clear hearing and clairsentience clear sensing.  And no, this is not a good definition either.

Mediums see, hear and feel using different senses to the average human being.  It is not really clear seeing, but more a ‘different seeing’. We mediums get our stuff from the etheric, not the physical. Mediums connect with the spirit world and the spirits give the medium all the information for them to impart to the sitter.

Psychics work in yet a different way. They get all their ‘stuff’ from the sitter’s aura or from items that belong to the sitter.  They do not connect with spirits as they do not have the gift.

The word clairvoyant seems to conjure up fortune telling or future predicting to people.  And therefore, some of the sitters who go to clairvoyants expect to have their future told. NO ONE CAN TELL YOU THE FUTURE! Your future isn’t made yet. You make your future yourself in the way you live your life. Every little thing you do can change your path, so no one knows where it is all going until it does!

Mediums bring your loved ones,  along with their memories of the past. They talk about what is happening in your life right now and about things they feel you should take care of. They like to prove they are really watching over you. They do this by talking about what they have seen and heard around you.

Where the difficulty arises, is when a person goes to a clairvoyant medium. They still expect this to be a fortune teller.  But it only means that this particular medium uses their third eye and ‘sees’ all the information. Whereas a clairaudient medium ‘hears’ the information. A clairsentient medium feels and senses spirits and their feelings and emotions.

Maybe it is better to say you are a spiritual medium, that may prevent the confusion. Or maybe it will always be confusing to those who do not have the gift.

Although I am sure you are very keen to start, before you go any further, it may be useful to familiarise yourself with some of the terms used by mediums, psychics, and Spiritualists.

Aura:An aura is something we all have, and this is backed up by scientific evidence. It once was questionable, as Auras are usually invisible to the naked eye, but with the invention of Kirlian photography, which catches the aura on film, it is now proven. The aura is fact not fiction. The aura is made up of colours and surrounds the body, the etheric body,  in a sort of egg shape.

The average person does not see it, but a psychic can learn how to see it with practise. The colours shimmer, pulsate and change according to how the body and mind is reacting to outside influences. Some mediums can also read auras. They can tell you a lot about what is going on in and around your life, by studying your aura and its colours. Objects too have auras.

Circle or Psychic Circle:A circle is made when a group of people get together to practise their psychic and mediumistic skills. A group often work best when sitting in a circle, as each person can be seen by all, making communication between each other much easier. Anyone can attend an open circle at a Spiritualist church; it is a good place to learn more about psychics and mediumship and improve ones abilities.

Clairaudience (clear hearing): Some mediums have the gift of hearing voices or words within the head, that cannot be heard by the psychically undeveloped person. Again, it can be used by the medium when developed to a high degree, in order to pass information on to a sitter, from the spirit entities and loved ones on the higher side of life. It can be a bit like being a switchboard operator.

Clairsentience (clear sensing): This is another psychic gift used by mediums. It allows the medium to sense or feel things, including pain and emotion, which are communicated from loved ones in the spirit world.

Clairvoyance (clear seeing): The ability to see images, pictures, and even spirits with the third eye: a place in the centre of the brow that is invisible to the naked eye. When the third eye is well developed the medium can utilise it to help give proof of life after death.

Development Circle: In a development circle one learns how to develop psychic awareness. Such circles are usually held at a Spiritualist church, but can be held at a private home by an experienced medium. It is not advisable to attend another development circle whilst you are learning to develop from this book.

Spiritual tutors have defined their own ways of developing and sometimes they are incompatible with others, and this would only cause confusion. That said, it is okay to attend Spiritualist open circles and practise your skills, as there is no teaching happening when the circle is open to all. So, as long as you learn the rules of opening and closing, as explained later, the open circle can be a good experience.

Life After Death: When we human beings die, our body is no longer needed, hence the need for burial or cremation, but our spirit or soul moves on to the spirit world to carry on its intended existence. This process is often referred to as Transition, but in fact it is our life after this life. Once transition has taken place, the spirit carries on with its progression  and evolvement to a higher spiritual plane.

Medium:A medium, is someone who has developed their own psychic ability to such a degree that they have become aware of an ability to communicate with spirit entities and loved ones who have passed over to the sprit world. Mediumship is not an inherent gift, though it is possible to develop dormant skills. This book will teach you how.

Private Sitting: If a person wishes to receive a one-to-one message from a medium, they can book a private sitting. This can of course be free of charge, but most often there is a fee. We all have to live and finance our homes and offices, and mediums are no exception, so most have to charge. Not many people will or are able, to work for nothing.

At such a private sitting, you would expect to be given proof of life after death. This would involve being given evidence from a loved one of yours who has passed to the higher side of life. Information not previously known to the medium. This should prove that your loved ones were here on the earth plane and are still watching over you even now.

Psychic: A psychic is someone who uses senses that the average person is unaware of. We all have these psychic senses which are invisible, but which can be develop to a high degree with time and effort. Smell, taste, touch, sight, and hearing, are all physical senses of which we are all aware because we see evidence of them all the time, and indeed take them for granted. Unless you are a Spiritualist, or mix with those who use the psychic senses, you are probably unaware of them.

Psychometry: A sitter gives you a personal item to hold in order for you to give information about the past of the object and its owner. All things hold vibrations or data which has been left on them over time. Pure silk is the only item I know of that holds no vibrations, hence the reason Tarot readers keep their cards wrapped in it.

The reader holds the item and lets their psychic centres take in as much information as possible. It is a bit like being a sponge and soaking up the vibrations and then relating them to the sitter.

Psychic Art:A psychic artist is someone who has the gift of being able to see a spirit entity and draw them, usually at the same time as giving clairvoyance. Sometimes, a second medium is in attendance to add to the clairvoyance.

A famous Psychic Artist was the late Coral Polge, who was a well respected Spiritualist. Coral, did drawings which were said to be very accurate and the clairvoyant proof she added made the sitting more than interesting.

Sitter: A sitter is someone who ‘sits’ with a medium or psychic, either in a circle or privately, in order to receive a ‘message’ or reading from them.

Spiritualist Closed Circle: A closed circle is just for those invited along, private. It is usually open only to church members.

Spiritualist Open Circle: An open circle is usually held at a Spiritualist Church. People sit in a circle with others who are hoping to communicate with someone in the spirit world. You may get a message from an experienced person or from a novice. You could also go to such a circle to practise your own newly developed psychic gifts.

Transition: Our ‘death’ is just a transitory phase from this life to the next, it is in fact a continuation of our existence. We have come from the spirit world, it is our home, and at our earthly death we return to the spirit world. Taking our transition is almost like passing through a door into another dimension. Only a thought away.

Vibrations: Are what he psychic or medium ‘reads’ when one has a sitting. Such vibrations can contain information about the sitter, and their life.

Clairsentience is the gift which lots of novices do not understand, and yet it is one of the simplest and easiest to use.

Clairsentience is often the very first sign that your sixth sense is developing.  Sensing! It is the gift of thinking, smelling, and feeling emotions.  Sometimes it can even be the sense of the pain which a spirit felt during their earthly life and often the pain they felt when they were passing over to the higher side of life..

Clairsentience is the sense of smell which does not come through the physical nose. It is an acute awareness of a smell, that those without the gift seem to be unaware of.  It may be the scent or perfume that a spirit used when on the earth plane and therefore, a good piece of proof for a seeker.  If the medium told the sitter that they were aware of a lady smelling of ‘Evening in Paris’, for example, this may be how the sitter remembers this spirit. This may be the evidence he or she is looking for to prove there is life after death.

Emotions experienced by the spirit, especially just prior to their physical passing, can sometimes be relayed by a medium who uses this gift to the fullest. There may be laughter and joy, as well as sadness. Feeling and sensing what the spirit wants to relay is a medium’s job.

Clairsentience is a good gift to have when giving private readings.  It makes the sitter really feel they have conected with their loved one.  When a medium uses this gift it brings so much more to a message.  A combination of clairaudience, clairsentience, and clairvoyance is what the developer of the sixth sense should aspire to.  What a wonderful combination of gifts for a medium to have.

Sometimes, as a student, you may find that the thoughts, feelings and smells you are getting in your head, are actually not your own.  Once you realise this,  it is easier to develop the gift.  A word of caution here: not everything that pops into your head is from the spirits.  Perhaps the hardest part of development, especially for a medium, not so much for the psychic,  is to define the difference between your own mind and that of the spirits communications.

Although I am sure you are very keen to start, before you go any further, it may be useful to familiarise yourself with some of the terms used by mediums, psychics, and Spiritualists.

Aura:An aura is something we all have, and this is backed up by scientific evidence. It once was questionable, as Auras are usually invisible to the naked eye, but with the invention of Kirlian photography, which catches the aura on film, it is now proven. The aura is fact not fiction. The aura is made up of colours and surrounds the body in a sort of egg shape.

The average person does not see it, but a psychic can learn how to see it with practise. The colours shimmer, pulsate and change according to how the body and mind is reacting to outside influences. Some mediums can also read auras. They can tell you a lot about what is going on in and around your life, by studying your aura and its colours. Objects too have auras.

Circle or Psychic Circle:A circle is made when a group of people get together to practise their psychic and mediumistic skills. A group often work best when sitting in a circle, as each person can be seen by all, making communication between each other much easier. Anyone can attend an open circle at a Spiritualist church; it is a good place to learn more about psychics and mediumship and improve ones abilities.

Clairaudience (clear hearing): Some mediums have the gift of hearing voices or words within the head, that cannot be heard by the psychically undeveloped person. Again, it can be used by the medium when developed to a high degree, in order to pass information on to a sitter, from the spirit entities and loved ones on the higher side of life. It can be a bit like being a switchboard operator.

Clairsentience (clear sensing): This is another psychic gift used by mediums. It allows the medium to sense or feel things, including pain and emotion, which are communicated from loved ones in the spirit world.

Clairvoyance (clear seeing): The ability to see images, pictures, and even spirits with the third eye: a place in the centre of the brow that is invisible to the naked eye. When the third eye is well developed the medium can utilise it to help give proof of life after death.

Development Circle: In a development circle one learns how to develop psychic awareness. Such circles are usually held at a Spiritualist church, but can be held at a private home by an experienced medium. It is not advisable to attend another development circle whilst you are learning to develop elsewhere.

Spiritual tutors have defined their own ways of developing and sometimes they are incompatible with others, and this would only cause confusion. That said, it is okay to attend Spiritualist open circles and practise your skills, as there is no teaching happening when the circle is open to all. So, as long as you learn the rules of opening and closing, as explained later, the open circle can be a good experience.

Life After Death: When we human beings die, our body is no longer needed, hence the need for burial or cremation, but our spirit or soul moves on to the spirit world to carry on its intended existence. This process is often referred to as Transition, but in fact it is our life after this life. Once transition has taken place, the spirit carries on with its progression  and evolvement to a higher spiritual plane.

Medium:A medium, is someone who has developed their own psychic ability to such a degree that they have become aware of an ability to communicate with spirit entities and loved ones who have passed over to the spirit world. Mediumship is not an inherent gift, though it is possible to develop dormant skills.

Private Sitting: If a person wishes to receive a one-to-one message from a medium, they can book a private sitting. This can of course be free of charge, but most often there is a fee. We all have to live and finance our homes and offices, and mediums are no exception, so most have to charge. Not many people will or are able, to work for nothing.

At such a private sitting, you would expect to be given proof of life after death. This would involve being given evidence from a loved one of yours who has passed to the higher side of life. Information not previously known to the medium. This should prove that your loved ones were here on the earth plane and are still watching over you even now.

Psychic: A psychic is someone who uses senses that the average person is unaware of. We all have these psychic senses which are invisible, but which can be develop to a high degree with time and effort. Smell, taste, touch, sight, and hearing, are all physical senses of which we are all aware because we see evidence of them all the time, and indeed take them for granted. Unless you are a Spiritualist, or mix with those who use the psychic senses, you are probably unaware of them.

Psychometry: A sitter gives you a personal item to hold in order for you to give information about the past of the object and its owner. All things hold vibrations or data which has been left on them over time. Pure silk is the only item I know of that holds no vibrations, hence the reason Tarot readers keep their cards wrapped in it.

The reader holds the item and lets their psychic centres take in as much information as possible. It is a bit like being a sponge and soaking up the vibrations and then relating them to the sitter.

Psychic Art:A psychic artist is someone who has the gift of being able to see a spirit entity and draw them, usually at the same time as giving clairvoyance. Sometimes, a second medium is in attendance to add to the clairvoyance.

A famous Psychic Artist was the late Coral Polge, who was a well respected Spiritualist. Coral, did drawings which were said to be very accurate and the clairvoyant proof she added made the sitting more than interesting.

Sitter: A sitter is someone who ‘sits’ with a medium or psychic, either in a circle or privately, in order to receive a ‘message’ or reading from them.

Spiritualist Closed Circle: A closed circle is just for those invited along, private. It is usually open only to church members.

Spiritualist Open Circle: An open circle is usually held at a Spiritualist Church. People sit in a circle with others who are hoping to communicate with someone in the spirit world. You may get a message from an experienced person or from a novice. You could also go to such a circle to practise your own newly developed psychic gifts.

Transition: Our ‘death’ is just a transitory phase from this life to the next, it is in fact a continuation of our existence. We have come from the spirit world, it is our home, and at our earthly death we return to the spirit world. Taking our transition is almost like passing through a door into another dimension. Only a thought away.

Vibrations: Are what he psychic or medium ‘reads’ when one has a sitting. Such vibrations can contain information about the sitter, and their life.

If you have loved ones who have gone to the spirit world, you are still connected by love.  There will always be that bond. Therefore, if they want to show themselves to you, they can.  You will see them because the spirit wants to let you know that the link is not broken. They are still close to you.

Also, a spirit may decide to show themselves to a loved one shortly before the passing of another. This is to let you know they are waiting to meet  and greet the person taking their transition.

It is well documented that when a person is very ill and about to pass over, they call out the names of their spirit loved ones who have come to meet them and help them cross over.  They can see them plainly.

In these cases clairvoyance is not needed. But in other circumstances it is. Clairvoyance allows you to see the spirit. Clairaudience allows you to hear the spirit. Clairsentience allows you to sense and feel the spirit.

This is when you may need a medium!

The first state helps the medium use clairvoyance, clairsudience and clairsentience.  This is normally what the medium uses when giving messages and communications during the open circles, platform and private sittings.

In order to allow a better communication twixt the spirit loved one and the sitter, a medium may decide to go into a different level of consciousness, in order to allow the spirit more input into the reading.

When in this state all the information the medium gives will be correct and for the one person only.  As opposed to the first level which does allow the mediums mind to work and sometimes interfere with the communication.  Unless we are dead, our mind never stops working.

At a different level, deeper, the medium will be in trance and the spirit may use that opportunity to come through and give philosophy. The words are usually above the level at which the medium normally talks.  Still using the mediums own voice, but with spirits words coming through. There should be inspiring words coming through in this state.  Not the mediums own words.

Unless you are going to give something different, there is no need to go into trance. Why would spirit waste the energy!  Anything else can be given through a lighter state and by clairvoyance.  Some mediums think they are in trance when they actually are not. It is the communication which always proves it.

The ultimate of course,  is a far deeper state which allows physical mediumship.  The medium, as always, is still aware, but spirit has more control. In fact most of the control.  This is when the communication is far more direct.  But of course the medium will still be aware.

There is not as much physical mediumship around as there used to be. It takes a lot of time and dedication and most people don’t have it.

More on this topic in later posts.

When I first sat for development, I did not know what to expect. The medium running the group had this notion that she should tell us nothing of what to expect in case it preempted our experiences. This I believe to have been the wrong thing to do.

As week by week I sat in the circle, obliviously building up the energy to work with. I did not know what this energy was nor how to use it. Or even that I could use it. I was so naive. This caused me to have a bad head every weekend after the development group.

I now know that the energy built up has to be used up. If not it can give you a headache and cause you to feel unweel.  I make sure this does not happen to my students. I get them to use up the energy at the end of each class by sending it out as healing.

I als0  know that if you are sitting for trance or any other spiritual and mediumistic gift, it is important you use up all the energy you build up or you may feel ill.

Other than that, mediumship does not in itself make you feel ill.  As long as you know what you are doing and that you are looked after by your mentor, you will be fine.

Communicating with spirits does not make you feel ill either. Although, clairsentience can help you feel the sense of pain that a spirit passed over with. But only the sense of it. Not the actual physical pain.

The gift of mediumship is a natural gift and used properly it works well. As with all things in life, abusing your gift may have implications which make you feel ill. Mostly that of guilt.

I wish you well in your development. Enjoy!

Sometimes it can even be the sense of the pain which a spirit felt during their earthly life, and maybe at their time of transition, from the earthly life to the higher side of life.

Clairsentience is when you get a sense of smell which does not come through the physical nose. It is an acute awareness of a smell that no one else, without this gift, seems to be aware of.

It may be the scent which a spirit used when they were on this earth plane and therefore a good piece of proof. If the medium told the sitter that they were aware of a lady smelling of ‘Estee Lauder perfume’, for example, this maybe how the sitter remembers this spirit. Therefore, good proof of survival of the spirit.

Emotions, which the spirit went through, especially just prior to their physical passing, can be relayed by the medium who uses this gift to the full. There may be laughter and joy as well as sadness. Sometimes the medium may pick up all the feelings and emotions of a ‘dying person’ and relay them them to the sitter. All by means of this particular psychic gift.

When a medium uses this gift, it brings into play so much more of a message, which can be given to a sitter. A combination of Clairaudience, clairsentience and clairvoyance is what the developer of the sixth sense should aspire to. This combination can bring forth excellent proof of survival of the spirit after so called death of the earthly body.

Clairsentience is often considered to be paranormal or supernatural, but I believe it is just an extension of our natural senses. With time and dedication, you too could develop this psychic gift.

Most items hold vibrations which can be read psychically, so therefore objects can easily be read.  There are others, like myself, who work with colour and like to read ribbons and colours.

Mediums who are very tactile like to read stones because they are very nice to hold and some are very colourful too. They give me great inspiration.

Flowers are a joy to read as they are living things full of vibrations and again, colour.  A lot of information can be gleaned from a sitters flowers.

In my humble opinion, the answer is yes. Mediums can read anything and everything!

I am clairvoyant, and therefore, I get most of my  messages in picture form. Spirits flash the image of a person, event, or building etc into my head and it is a bit like watching a TV inside my brow.  The images do not stay for long and I would expect that most mediums miss a lot of the information as it comes and goes so quickly, but whilst it lasts it is very clear.

I also hear voices.  This comes fleetingly as though someone is talking in my head, and again I have to be alert so that I do not miss it. Sometimes it comes as more of a thought into my head. It is not like hearing through my ears. That is objective and mine is subjective.

The other sense at work with me is clairsentience. This helps me pick up the feelings and emotions being given to me. I also feel the ‘sense’ of pain, which is often to do with the spirits ailments or the pains felt around the time of passing over to the higher side of life.  It is not the same as enduring the actual pains, thankfully,  but just the sense of it. It might be that I fleetingly get a sense of pain in my chest, if the spirit passed with heart problems. The sense of pain in and around the lungs, or the urge to cough, has an obvious meaning too. Or even the sense of not being able to swallow.

Ultimately, all the pictures, thoughts, words, and emotions, have to be put together as if it were a jigsaw puzzle.  This again is not easy,  but it has to be given  in a way which the sitter will understand.

Sometimes, the spirit may use symbolic signs and this involves using my own knowledge, as it has to be a symbol which I understand, in order to give it to my sitter.

Maybe this explanation will help you understand why it is important that the sitter speaks as little as possible. Apart from yes and no, anything else will interfere with the medium’s flow of information and the collating of it. It a great partnership with the sitter, the medium, the spirit world, and last but not least, the medium’s spirit guide, who helps it all happen.

I often feel quite elated when really good information comes through. I also often feel bewildered whilst trying to keep up with the information.  It is a partnership which has taken over 28 years of hard work. During which time my guide and I have developed a strong bond and a preference for working with colour.  Worth every minute of it in my humble opinion.