Intuitives: WTF is a Psychic, Medium, or Intuitive Guide, and When Do I Talk To One?

via @megzkan

You never forget your first time.

I was young—early teens—and was staying in a hotel in San Francisco with my mom for a long weekend. This spot was one of those quirky hotels that were super popular in the early aughts—they gave you a live goldfish when you checked in, which acted as your pet for the few days you were visiting. (I shudder to think about how many sweet lil’ goldfish met their end with a powerful hotel toilet flush.)

Bored with the mundanities of adult life—waiting in line, oy—a small sign in the sitting area of the lobby caught my eye: “Complimentary Tarot Readings at 5pm.”

The Twelfth House

I knew two things:

1. I wanted to get a Tarot card reading down extremely badly because, holy shit, I needed to know if my crush Chris Giovannazzo liked me as much as I liked him? Y or N?
2. There was something vaguely taboo about Tarot, which indcated there was likely a 1% chance my moralistic, disciplinarian mother would allow me to get a reading. But I had no idea why.

But by the grace of some higher power—dare we call it fate?—my mother not only permitted me to get a reading. She let me do it BY. MY. SELF.

So at 5 p.m. on the dot, I took the elevator down to the lobby and experienced my first intuitive reading.

Why Do We Turn to Intuitives?

I’d be lying to you if I said I remembered every single thing that the cards told me that day. But I do remember why I was captivated by it all—the idea that someone had the answers to all my life’s questions was very comforting to my anxiety-ridden heart.

Intuitives, psychics, mediums, mediators—they’ve been around forever. People who claimed to know what was going to happen in the future, either by divine sight or by communicating with the spiritual world, are mainstays in society. It’s one of the oldest professions on the planet. (You know the other one …) In the past, that job might manifest as a psychic or seer. In today’s age, we value the same skill set in analysts and trend forecasters. We just want to figure out why we’re here, and know what’s next for us.

Here’s the thing, though: We’re all psychic. We’re all intuitive. We all know the answers that we need, deep down inside of ourselves. It’s just that most people who’ve made this their official profession are a little more attuned and practiced than the average person.

Of course, there are so many societal biases that make us fearful of anyone who uses tools like Tarot cards, crystals, or clairvoyance. A lot of this is deeply rooted in religious propaganda — Salem Witch Trials, ever heard of them? — that’s discouraged people from utilizing intuitive tools and techniques that pre-date modern religious philosophy.

Even as an agnostic 12-year-old in 2001, I had the vague recollection that Tarot cards had something to do with the devil. They don’t. Neither do most psychics or intuitives.

So why go to an intuitive?

Well, why do you turn to anyone who’s better than you at something? Guidance, direction, and clarity. Yeaaaaah, sure, you might have the answer buried somewhere inside you … but it could take a lot of hard personal work and excavation and focus to get down to it.

Working with an expert intuitive:

• Helps you get clearer answers, more quickly. Think of it this way—they’re working on five-bars Wifi and you’re still waiting on LTE. Expert intuitives have a clear line of communication and can get right to the point, quickly.
• Gives you a neutral, unbiased perspective that works only for your highest good. We’re all human, and we have our blind spots. A great intuitive will call things to your attention that you’re not already aware of, or that you can’t see from your current point of view.
• Reframes the answer in a way that might be easier for you to understand. Sometimes you just need to hear the answer in a different way—and that can be the thing that helps you have a breakthrough.
• Can be confirming and confidence-boosting, which strengthens your own intuition. It’s very dope when a psychic tells you you’re right! Brush ya shoulders off, you little intuitive being!

When Should You Go to an Intuitive?

Not exactly.

There are so many different types of intuitives to chose from.

Medical intuitives help people figure out what their health issues are. Tarot readers specialize in divination and shedding light on what’s happening on a deeper level in your life right now. Intuitive business coaches help you make financial and businesss decisions. Mediums help you connect with people who have passed on. And there are infinite varieties of intuitives out there, who each have their own special focus.

In my opinon, it’s best to turn to an intuitive in a few certain situations:

1. When you have a clear question about something specific.
2. When you feel unmoored or lost, and are looking for an anchor point.
3. When you feel stuck, and need a new perspective.

Some people see an intuitive guide once in their life, some see theirs every month. Find a schedule that empowers you.

I urge you not to become reliant on anyone outside of yourself to help you make your decisions—not your husband, not your boss, not your mentor, not your intuitive, not your guru. No one has all the answers, and if they say they do they sure as hell do not.

Just remember that you’ve already got everything you need inside of you.

It’s OK to Be Skeptical

Since my first Tarot reading, I’ve had a winding relationship with the intuitive space. I’ve gone from believer to skeptic and back again.

As someone who deeply believes in free will and the power of personal choice, I found it difficult wrap my head around the idea of someone telling me one potential future outcome was the only possibility for me. And of course, I worried the information I was told became a self-fulfilling prophecy as soon as I was aware of it.

I’ve seen my fair share of intuitives throughout my life, during various “timeline” moments. A lot of what I’ve been told has been accurate—a particularly potent reading foretold the beginning of Holisticism. And some of what I’ve been told has been straight up wrong! (But TBH, thank god I didn’t get my dream job when I was 25 or get married when I was 27 or move to San Diego when I was 28.) Perhaps the actions I took after my erroneous readings actually changed my stars, and therefore my percieved future … so hey, maybe they’re not even wrong?

Either way, I’m an optimistic skeptic—I try to go into every appointment with an open heart, but with my brain turned on. It’s fun to think for yourself, don’t you think?

Curious?

Hey, you’ve got nothing to lose. If you’re thinking you could use a little intuitive guidance, I recommend setting up a session with a credible practitioner.

You can poke through Holisticism’s wellness marketplace for some of our favorite intuitive guides. The best part? All of our intuitive services can be offered online, which means you don’t need to be in NYC or LA to work with the best intuitives—you can enjoy a session no matter where you are.

Want to know more? You can sign up for our weekly newsletter here. Want to know more about our offerings? Check out Holisticism to find holistic wellness practitioners. Have questions? Email me at michelle@ohholisticism.com.