Kara's Wisdom Box

I want to wish you a very happy new year and hope 2011 is even better than 2010. 

I made a decision to do a "purging" of sorts, releasing as much negativity from my life as possible.  As a reader, I am not always perfect--in my own dealings, I know there have been times I should have taken my own advice or realized a reading for someone else was meant for my ears, too.

SO...I have decided to come up with a blog series, which is a result of a lot of positive changes that happened in 2010 and some great in-progress work for 2011.  Much of the information comes from my own research.  The blog series is called "New You 2011," and will be focused on finances, health and wellness, lifestyle and more.

Stay tuned!

This is another topic I tend to write about often, but as of late, I feel I need to repeat.  Selecting a reader takes great care.  You should take the time to get to know a potential reader before calling them, so you know exactly what to expect.  Plan a budget first and stick to it, so that you are not overspending--and make sure that if it's, say, a clairaudient you want to speak to, that you don't get an astrologer by mistake.  While I am certainly not opposed to giving a rating based upon how the client felt it went, I would invite continued and potential clients to really think about how they rate readers.

I will be the first to tell anyone that I am not 100% accurate and never will be, period.  I do not see everything.  I am not even given the whole picture of certain situations clients ask about.  There have been times when I have left a reading and knew that I deserved poor feedback for it because it was NOT up to par.  This short article doesn't address legitimate feedback.  It addresses the feedback that is not warranted.

- Clients who rate readers poorly for timing, despite the reader clearly stating in their listing they are not good at timing will reflect badly on the client, not the reader.

- Clients who rate readers poorly for using the tarot, despite the reader clearly stating they are using tarot...and the voice message clearly stating the client is calling a tarot listing, will reflect badly on the client, not the reader.

- Clients who rate readers poorly because the reader refused to answer health questions, even though it is clearly stated in the reading and Keen's policies that they do not do so, will reflect badly on the client, not the reader.

- Clients who rate readers poorly because the reader was not "fast enough", asking the reader 5 questions in 3 minutes reflects badly on the client, not the reader.

- Clients who are addicted to psychic readings and rate readers poorly based on what they want to hear will reflect badly on the client, not the reader.  It is very easy to find out whether or not this is the case.  Intuitively, the reader probably already knows if this is the reason for the bad rating and will read, anyway.

- Clients who play "test the psychic" and rate readers based on trick questions or questions they already know the answers to will reflect badly on the client, not the reader. Please consider the possibility that when others are reading the feedback you write and you mention this...your objective may backfire and you will be questioned by others as to why you would ask test questions.

- Clients who SOMETIMES state that they are "confused" by a reading can SOMETIMES reflect badly on the client, not the reader.  It is YOUR responsibility to get clarification.  If the reader does not provide this, note it in the feedback.  You may also need to understand that not every person you may call about has clear reasons or intentions for their actions.  Sometimes you will be confused because the reader is picking up confusion from the other party.  A reading, in this case, will not make that person any less confused...or any easier to understand in some cases.

My point, here, is to think very carefully and plan your reading prior to calling.  If you ask for timing, at least wait for the timeframe to pass before you decide whether it is feasible or not.  I have often found myself gobsmacked when someone rates a prediction that hasn't happened yet. 

Many readers on Keen are pretty good, and what I often find is that a lot of the negative feedback tends to come from people who, oddly enough, did not read the readers listing and didn't want to be given an honest reading. 

There are times when poor feedback is warranted.  When a reader may sound disinterested, tired or sleepy.  If they state they do one kind of reading in the listing and do something completely different in the call.  If there are elements of the reading that are just plain wrong and maybe to such an extent that it affects the overall reading, etc.  If customer service/client relations is an issue.  But be HONEST about it.  In the end, being untruthful doesn't affect anyone but you in the long run.

In this profession, I think the most difficult, yet most requested part of a reading is one of timing. For some clients, timing can mean the difference between a super awesome reading and a terrible reading. But why is that? I think I have stated, pretty much until I was blue in the face and beyond that my timing can be off and I do NOT advertise accuracy on timing, period. Yet, clients still keep asking me for it, because my feedback shows consistant accuracy at timing events. What many clients do not understand is timing depends on a number of factors, free will being the major factor, followed by my connection with the client.

My feeling about the time frame, whether it be 7 hours, days or weeks is usually the last factor. Some first time callers don't understand that not even I know when my timing is accurate until the client reports it. If any of us were consistantly accurate with timing, we would be working for our respective governments, not Keen telling them when major disasters were going to strike or financial companies telling them when stocks are going to drop. Psychic access to timing simply doesn't work that way. I have found that the clients who absolutely insist on timing and insist on accuracy on timing are those who are:

- frustrated or nervous about a prediction. One or several psychics will tell them they will get that promotion, but since it hasn't happened yet, they begin to think the psychic was a fraud. When the psychic gives inaccurate timing, the client may, at that point, decide the whole reading was bad and take it out on the reader--even when the reader stated clearly timing was not the best. The client may even be angry, fed up, sad or nervous at the time of the call. I don't know about some psychics, but I know that my accuracy goes down, the stronger those feelings come in and I ultimately start reading the person's fears, instead of the truth.

- testing the psychic. They figure that if the psychic can tell them Anna will call back on August the 24th at 12:34pm, then that person is the real thing. Again, the psychic they chose to call may have described exactly what the issues were surrounding the couple and even the topic of discussion at the time of the call, but the client will dismiss all of this because they were completely off on their timing.

- wanting to have their future mapped out for them without any work. Say the client wants to hold a successful catering event. They call the psychic and ask when this will happen. The psychic tells the person they will hold the even outside 3 months from the date of the reading and it is because they happened to run into someone who needs a caterer for said event. The psychic may insist this involves networking and there was an opportunity coming up very soon. The client does not network. The event does not happen, the client gets frustrated because the psychic told them a "lie" or something "obvious," despite the fact that the psychic was able to pick up on the event occurring. Psychic readings almost ALWAYS rely on action (or even inaction) on the client's part.

- wanting the event to happen NOW!!! This goes hand in hand with point 1. We turn on the tv and instantly get the news. Log on to our social networking sites and get connected with friends thousands of miles away. Why shouldn't every event we ask a prediction for happen the same way? Sorry, it doesn't. Predictions happen in their own time, not yours. If a psychic says an event will happen in 8 weeks or 8 months, don't automatically assume they are trying to take your money. Some predictions don't unfold for a year or more.

I sometimes see instances where the client was unhappy with the prediction that was made and automatically gives a low rating. I just don't understand why some clients can't wait for the time frame to pass first, or better yet, if it goes well beyond the time they have to wait, rate the reader in a CALM manner on the overall quality of the reading first. If the prediction is correct or if things unfold minus the timing, go back and get another reading. If not, choose another reader. I have had clients ask me for timing of events more than once. I have been lucky enough to have the majority of my clients be completely understanding with me about my issue with this aspect of a reading. I do not remember most of my readings, but there have been clients who have asked for timing and, for example, the same numbers keep coming up. (This is merely an EXAMPLE, and not meant to reflect upon any reading given.)

A typical senario may go like this:

"You said 6 weeks the last time," say one client.

"I'm getting a 6 now," I reply.

"Six again? What does that mean?"

"I'm not too sure. I only get the number, but it could be as long as 6 months."

"Six months??? I can't wait that long!" The client hangs up in sheer frustration.

This may sound familiar to some advisors. So what happened? Well, usually, if the same numbers come up, that usually means the universe says I got the number right, but the time reference wrong and what is supposed to manifest may actually mean 6 months from the first reading, not 6 weeks. I guess my advice is if you feel uncomfortable with the timing the reader gives you, the best thing to do is have patience and open up to the possibility that the even may very well take as long as the psychic has predicted. Asking, "Are you sure? Are you sure it's not sooner?" doesn't do anything but cause the advisor to get nervous, you to be at a disservice and you not trusting the whole reading because you were essentially trying to make the reader double-back on the information given.

There is nothing wrong with having an open-mind. I have seen, on many occasions, predictions panning out as the reader had stated, even when the timing was totally off. So, again, I emphasize, don't hold your advisor to timing and ignore the feedback others have written about the advisor's timing, no matter how tempting it is to choose them because, "They hit it with everyone else." Use timing as a GUIDELINE not a CRUTCH.

Maybe the universe did this to prompt me to get off my tuff and write this. I just received a "sign" that this entry I have been putting off for weeks really does need to be written.

Sometimes I peruse the advertisements of other psychics. After all, I am interested in who my co-workers are, what they do and how they help their clients. It never hurts to stop learning from others.

Anyway, what I have come across in some advertisements sort of disturbs me. I am talking about the need for some people to repeatedly call out clients either by description or even out right by NAME, when they are given a low rating. No psychic on Keen or anywhere else is 100% accurate. The universe knows I have had my days and I freely admit that. We have ALL been wrong or completely off in our readings at one time or another. I speak to some of my fellow advisors when I say, instead of accusing your clients of not wanting to hear the truth, and calling them out on your advertisement, maybe you should do some introspection. Maybe you WERE wrong. Maybe you received or interpreted the message incorrectly. Accept that it may be a possibility and don't beat yourself up or your client up over it. Maybe ask what you can do differently in the situation.

Of course, we have all gotten difficult clients. Sometimes they rate us out of haste and sadness. I will throw out there, though, that if you did your very best...and if you gave them the truth with honesty and integrity...they may very well come back for another reading, and even apologize for the rating they gave. I know it has happened to me.

I don't know about anyone else, but I do get a bit tired of some advisors constantly calling out their clients. It shows that the advisor is no better than they believe the client is. Additionally, it sends a negative message to potential clients. It may show that the advisor lacks listening skills, for one. Or they are more concerned and focused on getting that 5-star rating, than they are helping the client. Some of us must realize that criticism comes with the territory. We really have to brush it off and move along, even if we really believe what we are seeing is correct. If one cannot take the criticism we sometimes get from clients, maybe Keen isn't an appropriate place to work. We often forget that our clients have the right to rate us however they see fit. I don't like all the ratings I have gotten, but I feel it is their right to rate me as such. After all, THEY are the ones who are paying. If a clients says a reader does not connect, they are merely sharing their opinion of the reading. If they are being outright insulting, calling names, insulting your skill set, you can either ignore it or work to getting obvious abuse settled. Trust me. Many loyal and potential clients are very intelligent. They know what is BS and what is not. Keep providing your service and eventually the negativity will be buried under comments that show your real skills.

I've heard the term, "test the psychic," being thrown around a lot.  Often, this entails the client asking one question that may be considered a 'trick' question, or one to which they absolutely know the answer and if the psychic gets that question correct, they are good enough to continue the reading with.  Sounds like a great way to find the perfect psychic, right? 

Wrong.

The problem with test questions, is often that many psychics have many clients and connect to them differently.  Trying to gauge whether or not a psychic is good enough with a 1 or 2 minute question may not only do a disservice to the reader, it may also do a disservice to you, as well.

Connection Time

As I have said before, I don't know about other psychics, but I know that with some clients, I need a minute or two to get connected, others, I only need seconds.  If I don't have a proper connection OR understanding of the question, I will almost certainly misinterpret the information I am getting.  Connection time often allows me to understand what I am getting and how I should be presenting that information to my client. 

 

Different Readers Pick Up Different Things at Different Times

If a client called me up and asked me, "What color socks am I wearing?" they are most certainly going to be met with baffled silence.  I'll save you the trouble on that one and say, "I don't know."  I often do not know what information I am going to get or how it is going to come until I get started.  I may see a picture or I may hear the answer.  I may not be able to tell one client what socks they are wearing, but I may be able to tell them what time they got dressed.  I may tell another client how they were feeling about the shirt they wore that day.  The point is, while a client may be expecting information to be presented a certain way, there is no way I could, in good conscience, guarantee that.

 

That Test Question May...Ultimately...Be MEANINGLESS

There are readers who may totally ACE your test question, but be totally off on the situation you are asking them about.  There are readers who may totally BOMB your test question and, whether you like it or not, be absolutely accurate about the situation you really want to know about.  Some readers may do so-so on the test question, may not have a great grasp on the present situation, getting small pieces of information incorrect, yet be totally accurate about the outcome.  Therefore, I suggest that you take the total reading into account, not just bits and pieces.

 

The Better Way to "Test the Psychic"

I suggest that if you are looking for a psychic or advisor to help you, that you take a few moments to read their profile.  Is this the reading style you are looking for?  Do their beliefs and methods fall in sync with yours?  Do you get the sense that they may be able to help you? 

Check their feedback.  Generally, are people pretty happy with their readings?  Don't completely dismiss the reader because of a couple of negative feedback ratings.  This is a sign that they are human and do not connect with everyone.  Remember, you are talking to a psychic, a human, not some other worldly being.  I will be the first one to tell you that even though I have been accurate on many occasions, my timeframes have been off and my interpretations have been wrong.  I'd much rather leave the "know all, see all" to the universe--it does a better job.

Most importantly, invest in a full reading with the psychic.  From what I have seen, it appears that many psychics tend to do a pretty descent job at answering questions in about a 15 minute time frame.  Ethical psychics are not trying to take your money.  They are trying to help you in a rather quick period of time.  If you are unable to afford 15 minutes, I really suggest waiting until you can.  If the psychic has given predictions, wait until they have passed before giving an evaluation.  Many a times, a psychic may see something that makes absolutely no sense and may run contrary to what you may think may be happening, but low and behold, it may actually come true.  Allowing yourself a complete reading once as NEEDED, may actually help to prevent becoming addicted to psychics.  Waiting means you are pacing yourself and not getting so caught up in the situation that you are making several phone calls due to a tiny change in the situation, costing you more anguish...and more money.

Finally, please give your chosen psychic a chance.  YES, some of us pause during the reading--in complex situations, some of us need to sort out what we are getting and explain it as accurately as possible.  YES, some of us use cards and will shuffle them on occasion.  I shuffle after every single question, as my method calls for a new spread with every question asked.  It doesn't help the psychic to feel pressured to answer a number of questions in a very short time frame or to be criticised for the way the information comes to them--some of them do not have any control over what will come and how.

Happy hunting!

 

After a few situations I have recently dealt with, I think I can now put into words what goes on when my readings are less than accurate on the minor details.

The Third Party

I notice that when I read for some clients, if it is clear that the person they want me to look at is involved with someone else on a pretty deep level, the third party will pop up in my reading immediately.  If the person is involved with someone on a very casual level for a relatively short period of time and there is little to no chance the relationship will go anywhere, they may or may not come up in the reading.  This is just how it works.  Sometimes I will feel the energy of the third party but I can't "see" them.  The person may pop up in one reading but not the other.  The point is that if the energy is so inconsistant when I am reading, then it's a safe bet that is the reality of the situation, too.

So, why would the third party appear in one reading and not another?  It very well could be for the purpose of letting you know that even when you have been apart, this person has decided to "have a life."  It could also be a simple FYI. 

 

Time Frames for Events and YOUR Part in a Prediction

I have one client for which I see the outcome in their situation happening clearly, but the timeframe fluxuates.  No matter how often I tell this person timing is not my thing, they still hold me to it.  In this situation, the client has work to do so they can be clearly ready for a long-lasting relationship with the person that keeps popping up in my reading.  What saddens me about this situation, is that the person says they "try" to work on their issues, that "no one is perfect" (which I completely agree with) and, most importantly, they say what they are NOT going to do.  They say that what I have seen gives them "hope." 

If you have personal work that you need to do, my suggestion is that you focus more on yourself than on the predictions of a psychic (whether that be me, or anyone else).  If I see the problem is that you need to do a lot of personal work, don't expect to call back in a month to tell me that you have improved, if you have a whole lifetime of issues you need to work through.  It doesn't happen that way, and I feel I wouldn't be honest if I were to agree that you have made improvements by leaps and bounds. 

While you may be working on your "stuff" and while you may believe that no one is perfect, consider this: in your current emotional state, do you believe that you and your partner will be able to handle a long-lasting, balance relationship under present circumstances?  When the needs of two parties are not being met, a relationship will not work out, no matter how perfect or imperfect the individuals, themselves, are.

 

The Epiphany

Believe it or not, as I have seen in a multitude of cases as of late, some partners actually do have an epiphany about their relationship, behavior or about their mate.  I cannot always see these changes because I have a tendancy to read on a situation from the actions both partners are currently taking and intend on taking in the near future. 

 

Intent

Other times, I read solely on intent and I cannot see the action itself because the person has not made any decisions about what they want to do.  This is why a phone call may not always come through in the timeframe I saw. 

Does this mean I am not accurate?  Well, yes and no.  I once read for a friend who had just started dating a guy.  I told her that eventually he was going to leave his girlfriend of 7 years and they were going to have a long-term relationship.  About two months later, they separated.  I was shocked, as I saw quite clearly where that relationship was going.  A month or so after that, my friend called me and told me I was right about what I saw.  I was confused.  As it turns out, the ex-boyfriend had a discussion with a mutual friend of theirs.  He told this friend he was going to leave his girlfriend, but my friend, "Terry," had cornered him, so he backed off.

Intent may or may not come into fruition, depending on your re-action to the situation.  It may not come into fruition for the sole reason that the person changed their mind.  At the same time, just because you have an idea that something will happen, it does not give you license to start rushing a prediction.  More often than not, trying to rush the natural order will result in disaster.  If I say, "He will call you in about '2'," don't try calling him the very next day because you think you'll get communication faster that way.  You may get to talk to him, but will that help the over all prediction of getting together with the person you are wanting to be with?  I wouldn't count on it.  He may very well be entertaining someone else and consider your call an interferance, resulting in that call being the last conversation you ever get to have with that person.  Patience can sometimes be key.

In this article, I wanted to adress my views on skeptics of the psychic community.

I am a skeptic, myself.  I know it doesn't make much sense to be a walking contradiction; however, as a skeptic, I tend to be a lot more critical of the information I receive.  I prefer verifyable information, not just general statements.  When I read feedback and a client tells me that what I said was true, I am probably more surprised than my clients are. 

Skeptics are a valuable asset to the metaphysical community and to consumers of psychic readings because they help keep watch on potential fraud.  They teach consumers what to look for in a psychic.

The problem with skeptics; however, is that skepticism in of itself can also be considered a belief system...even a religion of sorts.  It is a belief system filled with "followers" who can be just as stubborn to convert to believing in the existance of psychic abilities as a Christian, for example, would be stubborn to convert to say, Paganism.

Many a skeptic have said they would be willing to consider the possibility that psychic abilities exist, "if there is compelling evidence."  The problem, here, is that this is completely arbitrary and totally up to the skeptic to decide how much evidence he or she requires to change his or her mind. 

In my experience, when I have provided evidence or even documentation that could be verified by a client, they always want more.  In other words, the rules keep changing because the evidence could be considered a fluke, purely anectodal or a stretching of the truth. 

Two other issues are that skeptics want to define what is considered psychic ability and what is not.  According to one skeptic, if someone is truly psychic, then they should be able to know the names of the client's relatives.  They should know what you are thinking at any given moment.  A psychic should be able to, with pinpoint precision, tell you when an event will happen, and if any party involved changes their mind, the psychic should be able to pick that up.  These results should be able to be reproduced repeatedly until the skeptic is ready to consider the possibility that psychic abilities really do exist.  Secondly, those results should be 100% accurate.  People who are brought up on murder charges get to get off if they are able to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.  They don't need to prove it 100%. 

Here is an example of when I read someone and got very specific details (not 100% accuracy) and the skeptic was still not convinced, despite being able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that I did have an abiltiy:

Last year, a new coworker came to work for my company.  I had a crush on him.  Despite acting younger than his age, I got a good vibe from him and he seemed really liberal.  I told him what I did part-time and he just nodded, as though it didn't matter.  I thought this was a good sign. 

So, we were walking down the street together and he asked me when his birthday was, as a joke.  I told him I didn't know because I can't get that specific.  But then I looked dead at him and said, "You are an Aries." 

He stopped in his tracks and shouted, "Stop it!" 

I laughed and and asked him why.  He said his birthday was April 1st.

I then told him he had a big dog, it was a black lab.

"One out of 2," he said.  "It was actually a yellow lab."

I shrugged.  I thought it was a bit silly, to be honest.  After all, it wasn't like I said he had a poodle or a Dalmation. 

I asked him if he was seeing anyone and he told me that he wasn't but his ex-girlfriend was Japanese.

As plain as day, I picked up that he was not over this person, that she hurt him terribly and if he could he would take her back.  I told him that he was not over her.

"One out of 3," he says with a smile. 

Well, I found out from a mutual friend that he lied.  He indeed was not over this woman and talked about her everyday at work to the point of driving the other coworkers mental.

Now did I display 100% accuracy?  Not really.  But from this story, I did display that I was picking up very specific information that I could not have known about this person. 

Finally, I find that skeptics have already decided what kind of skills set a psychic should have.  They have also already determined to what degree those skills should function.  While I agree that there should be some sort of standard and a psychic should be able to demonstrate their skill with reasonable accuracy, the key word is: reasonable. 

While I cannot speak for other psychics, I would say that my abilties are there, they are just not consistant, and I definitely let my present and potential clients know that.  In my case, I have a tendency to mix up timeframes.  What I think is the future, has actually already happened.  Sometimes I have a problem misinterpreting what I see.  On two occasions, my ego popped in because what I saw didn't make any sense.  I was reading for two clients, and I saw clearly what their career or career plans were and I did not tell them before they came out with it (and no, I would not have been able to guess from the conversation).  The way I connect with some people is different.  While with some people I can pull up information with their question, other people, I have actually had to verify or even ask questions in order to be sure what I was seeing.  Sometimes I need cards, sometimes I don't.  Sometimes one ability will manifest, sometimes everything will come out, again, depending on the person.  I can be on target with timing for one person and be so off target with another.  At times, I have been 50/50 with past or present information, but right with the outcome.  And yes, there are times I even get things wrong.

It is my opinion, based on my experience, that skeptics are not as willing to change their belief systems as some may think.  That's okay.  However, extreme skepticism can be just as hurtful as extreme belief.  When it comes to a system of beliefs, it is sometimes interesting to note how, just because you are skeptic (or a believer), does not mean that you have the monopoly on factual information and facts can certainly be altered and adjusted to fit a belief system.

Further readings of interest (I will be updating this)

"Myth of the Million Dollar Challenge," Greg, dailygrail.com, Feb 2008

"The Ultimate Psychic Challenge-A Challenge to James Randi," Montage Keen, survivalafterdeath.org.uk, 2004

debunkingskeptics.com/contents

 

 

 

This article is dedicated to my highly intuitive clients, who know who they are, as well as anyone who has recently discovered their intuitive gifts and their desires to help others with them.  Because there is no "one-size-fits-all" to psychic development and intuitive counseling, I decided to write this article based on what I learned through my journey so far.

I have always been psychically gifted, but I was not always aware that what I was doing was "psychic." 

1. Do your research on the recognized paranormal skills out there.  There are many, but the main skills commonly sited are: clairvoyance (clear seeing), clairaudience (clear hearing), clairsentience/empathy (clear feeling) and mediumship (communication with the deceased).  Some intuitives are able to pick up more on past events, others can tell you what is going on at present, while others are better at predicting the future.  There are even some who do well with all three time periods.

Prior to doing my research, I thought that all psychics were essentially "fortune-tellers," who are generally considered more entertainers than psychics.  I was under the false impression that psychics could tell everything that was going to happen in my life and could even give me lottery numbers.  I did not know that my high school experiences with deja vu (later discovered to be prophetic dreaming) were actually psychic abilities.

2. Discover what your skills are and how they manifest.  This may require a bit of work and effort--more so because you may miss certain skills you didn't know you had.  I was actually told what my abilties were and how strong they were by someone else.  I, of course, didn't believe it at the time.  One day, my friend showed us a deck of tarot cards and did readings for us.  Something told me to pick up the cards and start reading.  After three tries, I began reading very accurately. 

Later, I was told I was naturally clairvoyant, clairaudient, a healer and a medium.  You have to imagine the look on my face when I was being told this.  I am a science-based person and I do not believe in ghosts.  I did not believe in the afterlife.  Well, within 6 months, I started to see things that were not in front of me, hear voices of people that were not physically present, describe with pinpoint detail personalities and coversations of people who had passed away years ago and describe down to the location ailments of people over the phone. 

How my skills manifest is largely dependent upon my connection with my client and how relaxed and open we are.  While I have been criticised for it before, I do not meditate before my readings, nor do I "cleanse" myself afterwards.  I find that simply saying, "God, spirit, universe, please help me to help this person.  Thank you, it is done."; taking a couple deep breaths and using my tarot deck to jump start the reading is adequate.  If I am doing a mediumship reading, I simply ask the person to please come forward and speak to me and my client.  After the reading, I take some more deep breaths and take a 10 minute break before going to the next reading.  Sometimes I will change the card deck. 

3. Have a budget and find out how other people do their readings.  Let me make this a little more clear.  I am not advocating that you test a psychic.  Have a real question ready for the person to answer.  How did you like their reading style?  What would you have done differently?  I wouldn't suggest you copy another psychic's style, rather use those readings as a way to develop your own voice.  You may find that if you are working with a guide, you are probably not going to be able to copy another person's reading style, anyway.

One of my friends has a very beautiful way of conducting her readings.  The feeling is very light and gentle, yet her readings are packed full of very specific information.  At times, she may come across as underconfident--but she really isn't, she is allowing her client to judge the reading solely based on the content.  My readings, on the other hand, are a bit more direct and I am currently working with a guide who has a tendency to be very straightforward in her delivery.  If she feels I am sugarcoating, she starts to take over the reading through channeling.

4. Practice first!  Above all, the only way one can improve is to practice, practice, practice.  When I first started reading, I knew I was "called" to do it, but I also knew that I couldn't just start taking people's money without enough experience.  I then decided that I was going to offer 100 free readings before charging.  No matter how long it took, I dediced that I was going to read for 100 individuals before going professional.  I am glad I did this because it helped me to develop faster methods to pull out accurate information.

If you decide to read on Keen, make your rate low and offer free minutes to build your confidence. 

5. Don't say you can't.  Your "can't" may end up being your specialty.  Way back when, I remember telling someone that I could not do timing, so I wouldn't even try.  You can imagine my surprise when I decided I would start practicing timing and it turned out to be accurate.  It honestly still blows my mind when I find out from clients I nailed timeframes for phone calls, job offers and other events.  Although I do not consider it my specialty, I sometimes have a bizarre tendancy to be right on the mark. 

The same thing happened with my mediumship skills--which are actually my favorite kinds of readings to do.  The first time it happened, I thought I was just hearing voices, only later to have confirmation that I was indeed speaking to a spirit.

6. Create a profile that is uniquely YOU.  While it is always good to get inspiration from other profiles, you will want to create a profile that tells potential clients who you are, exactly what you do and any other information you feel will help your clients to connect with you before you do the reading. 

While it has been said my profile is a bit wordy, it's ME.  It is my personality to let people know who I am what I do (and don't do), sparing no detail.  While it may not always get read, I feel good about the way it is written because it represents who I am and my reading style.

7. Take negative AND positive feedback as learning tools.  Feedback, whether good or bad, is a tool to help you improve your readings as well as your business.  From my negative feedback, I personally learned to be very clear and succinct in my profile so potential clients know exactly what to expect.  From my positive feedback, I learned what was working overall with my readings.

At the end of the day, the question for me wasn't whether or not I deserved the feedback given, but what I could learn from what the client thought about the reading. 

8. Take a break and don't force something that isn't there.  This is probably one of the biggest lessons I have learned.  I once had done so many readings that all of a sudden, I had formed a massive headache followed by a block and could not read for two months.  I had tried to force the reading and whatever was helping me before, was blocking me from reading.  When a question is asked and the answer doesn't come, trust me when I say it is far better to say that you do not know the answer or it is not being presented to you, than to force an answer that is simply not there. 

 

This is going to be a rather brief article about some observations about this new year I have made.  

It seems as though that when I give readings, there is always something in those readings that I should be learning, too.  So far, I have had one reading after another where certain clients were in need of either letting go of a particular situation (and were taking the steps to do just that) or were working to make significant changes in their lives this year.  Some are going to be in new relationships, others will be switching jobs or careers, while others will be moving house. 

I was compelled to assume that 2010 is going to be a year of large, positive changes for many of us, so if there is a particular goal you want to achieve, I would say this is the year to do it.

What is it that you want to do this year?  I suggest getting a pen and a piece of paper and writing out all of your goals (preferably with defined times in which to complete them) and stick these goals on your refrigerator or someplace where you can see them.  I made my list in a notebook that I carry with me everywhere.  Your goals can be as huge as paying off a mortgage or credit card debt by December or as small as learning how to bake homemade brownies before Valentine's Day.  Whatever it is that you have wanted to do, write it down in detail and check your goals off when you've completed them.  Don't worry about how these things are going to happen.  Just work on what you want to accomplish.  The tools will be there to help you with the "how" as soon as you get started.

For 3 years, I had wanted to learn how to surf and constantly made excuses as to why I couldn't.  I didn't know how to swim.  I didn't have a board or a wetsuit.  No one around to teach me.  I actually broke this down into smaller elements.  Before I travelled back to my hometown, I called the local swimming pool and set up lessons.  They told me I would have to be there at 6AM.  Six in the morning??  Well, for 6 private lessons, I showed up at 5:45AM every lesson, plus swam for 1-2 hours for practice outside of those lessons.  Guess who can swim, now?  As I was speaking to a friend about my interest in surfing, she quickly said, "I want to take up surfing again!  I want to teach you this spring!  Get a board and a wetsuit!"  Isn't it funny how things just fall into your lap once the will is there?

We're off to a good start this year, indeed!

 

I've been wanting to write something about this for a while.  Here are some tips I want to share with you on how to get a good reading from an advisor.  If this is your first time or if you are looking for a new advisor, I hope these tips will be of use.  Happy hunting! :)

Preparation

Be Well-Educated about the Psychic Experience

I would say the biggest reason for dissatisfaction among clients of psychics is that many of them simply do not know exactly what the "average" psychic can and cannot do.  Not all psychics can "see" information.  Some hear it.  Others feel it.  Some psychics (called psychic mediums) can speak to people who have crossed over--or even the souls of the living.  Some psychics are good at finding things, others are good at describing what's on your kitchen table.  Some are very good with timing.  Others are fairly consistant at predicting future events, while others are good at describing past events.  It is extremely rare to find a psychic who can do it all.

Also be well-informed about scams.  There are many and there are several articles out there that talk about specific scams some "psychics" will use to take advantage of their clients. 

 

Check the Advisors Profile, First

If you are interested in a particular advisor, nothing can help you more than reading that person's complete profile and at least several pages of feedback before you call.  If they have blogs, it wouldn't hurt to read those, either.  Yes, I know it can be time consuming, especially if you only have 2 or 3 questions you want to ask someone.  The research; however, does pay off because you can better prepare yourself for what to expect during your reading.

Use your own intuition.  Does this reader feel like someone who can help you with your needs? 

 

Realistic Expectations

As a piggy back on the first point, when searching for an advisor, please have realistic expectations prior to calling.  Some advisors will state very clearly what they can and cannot do.  If an advisor states they are not good with timing, do not punish them for getting it wrong if you ask when something will happen--no matter what their feedback says. 

On the other hand, a real psychic who has a good connection to you should be able to tell you something specific about your situation.  If you ask what is happening with your job, do not accept generalities such as, "I see big changes happening in your life."  This is not helpful information, and even if they do talk about the changes, they should be able to give you specfics relevant to your situation.

 

Write Down All of Your Questions Prior to Calling

This step is a time saver because instead of spending precious seconds or even minutes trying to figure out where you want the reading to go, written questions will help you to be clear with your requests during the reading.  These questions even help you if you are requesting a general reading, because if the advisor does not hit these points during their session, you can always ask your questions once they are finished.

 

Be Calm, Relaxed and in a Place Where You Can Concentrate during Your Reading

Although I cannot speak for other advisors, if my client is upset, angry or shut down, it is difficult for me to sift through those emotions to really help them with the issues they may be facing.  When a client is relaxed and ready for...well...anything, that is usually when I can deliver a reading they are extremely satisfied with.  Likewise, please make sure you are in a relatively quiet place.  Again, I cannot speak for other advisors, but I do sometimes have a tendancy to get distracted by outside noise when reading or channeling, so the reading may not be as good as if there were less distractions.

 

During the Reading

Give the Reader Your Time

I have seen many cases where a client may have been disappointed with a reading, only to find out that had they were trying to ask 10 questions in a 2 minute timeframe.  For an accurate, in depth answer to 1, maybe 2 questions, it usually takes about 5 minutes--some readers can do this in 3 minutes.  Please allow your reader to properly connect with you and answer the question in full.  If it is not within your budget to spend 5 minutes on a reading, perhaps go back and do research on someone who fits your budget or perhaps wait until you have the funds to speak to the advisor you really want to speak to.

 

Not Everyone Reads the Same Way-Hear Your Advisor Out

I often use the example of the 20 people taking an art class who are all told to look at a chair in the middle of the room and draw it.  Without fail, there will be 20 different pictures.  Countless clients have compared readings of different advisors and based their grading on whether or not those readings match up.  Not all advisors connect to all clients the same way.  Not all advisors will see the same situation the same way.  Some advisors may be better at looking at the past, others are better at looking at the present.  Some are very good at predicting where a relationship will go, while others will see several alternative conclusions for the same situation.

 

Ask for Clarity

If something is not clear, ask them to clarify what they mean.  Granted, some advisors may not be able to be as clear as desired, due to the nature of the style of their reading, but they should do their best to make sure you walk away from your reading as though it was of some benefit.  It makes very little sense to pay to be more confused than when you called.

 

Write, Write, Write

Keep a pen and paper handy during your reading and write down as much as possible.  These notes are your record of the conversation and if the advisor gave predictions, you can go back and refer to your notes to check on them.  Writing what the advsior says also helps to alleviate confusion you may have had during  your reading.  Often what the advisor says may not make any sense to you until you go back to your notes and read over what was said.

 

After the Reading

Sleep on It

I have seen cases where an advisor was very honest with what they were seeing in a situation--and even accurate, but the client refused to accept it and called ten other advisors before hitting one who would tell them what they want to hear.  Instead of doing this, sleep on what the advisor has said, and then go back and assess the reading.  Look for specifics in the reading that you may not have been happy with.  Develop more questions to either follow up with that advisor or possibly find a new advisor to take a look at it. 

 

Give Predictions Time

If a reader gives a prediction for a set time, after assessing for yourself whether or not this is a realistic time frame, unless there are significant changes in the situation, I would suggest holding off on readings about said situation until the time for the predictions has come and gone.  If a prediction is set 8 months in the future, calling to check on that prediction on a weekly basis often does very little other than to make you more anxious about the prediction unfolding.  While I do see the need for feeling self-assured about these predictions, I am always cautious not to make my client overly dependent.

 

Developing a Relationship with Your Reader (Not a Habit)

Did you like the reading?  Do you feel this reader helped you?  Do you think s/he could help you with other issues you may have?  Think about developing a relationship with that reader, but not dependency.  Generally, I recommend getting one good reading from an advisor and if they work for you...stick with them!  Occasionally venturing out to try other readers is fine and offers a different perspective from time to time, but try to limit how many you call and how often.

 

Since I have been involved in this work, I have  gotten quite a few questions about who I am and why I do what I do.  I thought this Q&A platform with some of the more common questions would be easiest for people to find out about me.

Q1: Are you psychic or are you a tarot reader? 

A: I am actually a psychic medium.  Truth be told, I don't really know how to read the tarot. 

Q2: Why do you use tarot?

A: I use tarot in order to focus my natual abilities.  I have the darnest time trying to meditate, so this helps me to connect and focus without meditation. 

The only time I do not need tarot is when I am doing mediumship readings.

Q3: What exactly are your abilties?

A: I am clairaudient (clear hearing), clairvoyant (clear seeing) and clairsentient (clear feeling).  I am a medium.  I can also pick up on some medical ailments and I have been able to pick up on the psychic abilities of others.  I can sometime hit timing of a sitation, but I don't bother to mention it because it really depends on what kind of connection I have with my client.

I do not have any control over any of my abilities except for mediumship.

Q4: How long have you been doing this?

A: I have been intuitive all my life.  It started with prophetic dreams and deja vu as a kid.  I have been reading professionally for 2 years.

Q5: You've been reading for just two years?

A: Yes, but I don't make it a point to come out with it primarily because I want my clients to judge me solely on my individual merit with them.

Q6: Why did you decide to become a psychic?

A: Well, I didn't "decide" to become a psychic.  I believe that is genetic.  I decided to use my abilities to help people after a bit of soul searching...and whoever is watching over me sort of pushed me into it.  I really enjoy helping people and I will say my favorite readings are mediumship readings because  I am able to bring people together who may not have otherwise been able to.

Q7: You say that you are a skeptic and you are more science-based in your beliefs, so why are you reading for people?

A: Because I no longer believe that psychic ability and science are mutually exclusive.  While I have seen, felt and heard things beyond the 'normal' scope of human ability, I believe there is an instinctual reason for it. 

Remaining a skeptic in my readings makes me more critical of my work.  Admittedly, I have a tendancy to become OVERLY-critical of my work.  Many times I have said things that I didn't believe (and I always inform my clients of this) that end up being true.  This is why I often tell my clients that what I see may make more sense to them than it does to me. 

While I do not impose my beliefs onto anyone else and I do not criticise other advisors' belief systems, I will say that there is a lot that I do not believe in.  I don't believe in past lives (it's fun to get  past life readings, but I consider them entertainment only), soulmates, karmic debts (patterns, yes, though), curses, spells, etc.  I basically only believe in what I can see or what can be verified.

Q8: Are you religious?  Spiritual?  How has it influenced your psychic development?

A: I would say that I am more spiritual.  I think that there is 'something' there, but I have no idea what it is.  I have trouble putting 'it' into a conventional box, such as religon.

For me, personally, when anyone asks me about my own psychic development, I honestly have to chuckle to myself.  To tell you the truth, I stopped making connections between my spiritual beliefs and my psychic ability because no explanation really made any sense to me. 

My personal thoughts on my abilities are as follows: I don't know why or how I do what I do.  I just do it.  Period.  I don't go to development workshops and I don't even meditate.  What comes to me is what comes to me and that's the way it is.  I am positive that whatever it is I am doing has a basis in genetics and one day, I am sure scientists will discover what is going on.  I've been heavily criticised about this, but I have pretty much resigned myself to believe that humans are different and do things differently.

Q9: You seem so laid back in your readings.  Why is that?

A: Basically because I don't want it to be a scary or nerve-wrecking experience for my clients.  If they get nervous, it gets hard for me to read.  And I basically just like talking to people.  How I speak to my clients is exactly how I speak to my friends.  It's easier that way.  I don't profess to know all the answers and I am straight up from the beginning.  I don't care so much about my ratings, I care that all my clients are able to walk away from their readings feeling they got something of value out of them.  I also want them to know that, yes, I am a human being.  It's odd because while I've earned a pretty good reputation for being accurate, I am MORE proud of my reputation for being honest.  I won't do to anyone else what I wouldn't want done to me.

Q10: Is that your real picture?

A: Yep.  That's me.  I basically put it up because I wanted my present and future clients to see I am a real person. 

Q11: What do you do when you aren't doing readings?

A: I am a school teacher, actually.  On my free time I enjoy traveling, surfing the net, shopping and spending time with my cat, Miya.

Q12: Is there anyone you won't read for?  Is there any situation you won't read?

A: I am a pretty non-judgmental person.  People from all walks of life come to me with their issues.  It's not up to me to decide if they are right or wrong.  My job is to find answers to their questions.  Period. 

That being said, I do not read for minors and I do not like questions regarding children--somehow I feel like I may be imposing on the free will of a child and I feel they are too impressionable to give readings too. 

I will also refuse to give readings to people who are overly rude or insulting or people who just lack the concept of manners.  I prefer to have a life as drama-free as possible.

Q13: Have you ever read for anyone famous?

A: Maybe.  I have no idea.  Due to my confidentiality policy I wouldn't share that information even if I knew I had read for them.

I think I am beginning to run out of space on my listing for the dos and don'ts of placing a call with me.

I recently spoke with a client for less than 3 minutes wanting a reading.  From what I could decipher from the combination of the person calling from outside with less than stellar reception, not having their question clearly formed and speaking in a way that was admittedly difficult for me to understand properly, the reading ended up being not to their liking.

What I do know is that from what I could catch, I was able to give a reading, complete with timeframes.  I just wish honesty worked both ways.

I can't emphasize enough that you get out of the reading what you put into it.  I truly hope that in the future, clients will:

- Call me when they are in a quiet place with good phone reception.  Trust me.  I do not like repeating myself anymore than I have to.

- Speak slowly, clearly and calmly.  It is difficult for me to read for people in a state of panic or frustration because I have to take the time to dig through those emotions before I can get a clear reading.  Sometimes the caller's speaking style may be difficult for me to understand, so I will often ask you to repeat.

- Write down their questions before calling and be specific.  "When will I get a job?", for example, is a lot different from "Will I get a contract for a job?" and many times it will yield two entirely different answers.  Please do not be disappointed if you ask, "Anything else you want to tell me?" and I get a blank.  It has happened before where I will get a certain amount of information for a reading and my guides will not give me anything else.  Again, I work conversation-style, and general questions will not always get elaborate responses.

I have found that many of my clients are wanting to find out when they can catch me online and until now, I was not able to provide even a skeleton of a regular schedule.  Since I do not use the availability schedule provided (because sometimes I may not be able to get to the phone at the exact time my listings become available) and since I do not send out mass e-mails to clients, I thought this would be a better platform in which to communicate my usual times of operation.

Please check back on this schedule regularly because I may post special times of operation in this blog.

Please note all times are for the US Eastern Standard Time Zone.

Monday: 8AM-1PM

Tuesday:8AM-1PM

Wednesday:10AM-1PM

Thursday:8AM-1PM

Friday:8AM-1PM

Saturday: Pretty much all day

Sunday: Pretty much all day

• If you do not see my "Call Now" button on, it does not mean I am not available.  Usually I am taking a break or serving other clients.  If you need to speak with me, I strongly encourage you to schedule an appointment with me or wait in my cue.  If I see you are waiting in line and I cannot get to you immediately, I will usually try to e-mail you to let you know I see you are waiting.
• There are times when I am available outside of this schedule.  Let me know if you would like to speak with me and I will try my best to get back to your e-mail.  I still have lots of e-mails that I get buried under, but I will try my best to answer.
• Alternatively, you can request an e-mail reading.  I pretty much read the same way as over the phone.  I just need your name and your question (the more specific, the better). 

Thank you so much!  I look forward to speaking with you!

I have recently been stumbling upon a number of readings where my guides were refusing to answer certain questions for my clients.  Mostly, it was in the area of relationships. 

"What is the outcome of this relationship?"  was met with silence.

"When will s/he come back?" was met with more silence.

"What do I need to be aware of with [insert name here]?" was sometimes answered with little more than the person was not dangerous.

I would like to focus on why this happens.

1. If you knew everything that was going to happen, you would automatically alter the natural course of "life." 

Yes, it may seem like a cop out, but this is what my guides tell me in some cases.  They will not tell me what the final outcome between Steve and Jan will be because they want Steve and Jan to experience the relationship for reasons of growth that my client may not have realized.  Instead, they will tell me to tell my client to just experience the relationship for what it is.  If they knew the outcome of every single relationship they walked into or knew of every single argument they would have with their partner, they would most likely be alone.

2. Lack of timing doesn't mean it won't happen.

Sometimes clients will ask me when something will happen.  This is a question I dread and a question my guides sometimes shake their heads at. 

Many clients I have spoken to seem to think that timing an event means success or that the final outcome is more likely to happen when a timeframe is given.  This is completely false and counterproductive thinking.  Lack of timing usually means that there are either too many variables to consider a timeframe or (and more commonly the case) that if the person is focused on timeframes, they will lose focus of the goal and forget the WORK they or the other party involved is supposed to be doing to reach their goal.

3. One or the both of you is all over the place and needs to prioritize first.

There have been a few clients who have been disappointed with me because they asked me about their love life, but my guide is asking them to take a look at their financial situation.  Other times, they have gotten frustrated when they ask when the next relationship will happen, but my guide keeps bringing up the past.

This rides on the coat tails of having an open mind.  If you feel like your love life is 'crap' and you are waiting for Mr./Mrs. Right in the next relationship...for the next 5 relationships you are in and out of, my guides are more than likely showing you this because something about the way you keep choosing partners is amiss and you need to take a look at that missing link  before getting involved in another relationship.

4.Free will is abosolutely too much at play here.

There have been times when I have accurately nailed when someone would get a job and all the circumstances surrounding it.  There have been times when I have accurately predicted--down to communication--when couples would get back together, and then there are the rest of the times when I am given absolutely NO indication as to whether or not something will happen for sure.

Repeatedly, the reason comes up that the outcome is completely dependent upon the free will of whomever may be involved.  I am a believer in free will and I have seen cases where a person would do A one day and then unexpectedly do B the next...in all honesty, I am not always able to  keep up with these sudden changes, so rather than giving false hope, I always explain to my clients that this is what may be preventing them from receiving certain information.

5. I am human, my guides are higher spirits, but none of us are GOD or the whole universe. 

There are times when I can't answer a question because I simply don't know, and neither do my guides, and that is okay.  The benefit to not having all the answers is that you get to create your own reality without relying on a psychic for all of your decisions.   

 

Why I will not give you any old answer if there is none.

I feel that if my guides are silent or if they do not help me translate what I am seeing in the tarot images, it is for a reason.  I have tried to push them for answers before, which had only been met by more stonewalling.  I will not give any old response because it does not serve my client to be lied to.

Once a client, with a heavy sigh, said maybe god didn't want them to have the answer to the person's question.  They're probably right.  Either god didn't want them to know the outcome...or god may have very well given this person an answer they were not satisfied with.  Denial is expensive in this business, both financially AND spiritually.