Inner Vision: Look Into My Crystal Ball

To believe, or not to believe. That is the question. Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to follow the offerings of a gypsy fortune teller or your Aunt Gladys’ tea leaves, who can say? Is that Juliet that rises in the East or do I need new glasses? Look into my crystal ball, my friends, and all will be revealed.

But hold on a minute before you make that call to one of Dionne’s Psychic Friends and let’s see what we’re talking about when we reach out to psychics for direction and clarity.

First things first: We’re all psychics to one degree or another. Yes, even you who don’t believe it. All the things we’ve been talking about attest to our internal psychic world: intuition, collective consciousness, good vibes, bad vibes, etc. It’s all there all the time, whether you think you can feel it or not. What differs between “regular people” and those we think of as “bona fide” psychics has to do with our individual innate talents and how well we develop our skills.

Take our superstars of the sand, Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh. Gold-medal Olympic athletes, extraordinary volleyball players, right? Now, assuming we’re physically capable, we can all play volleyball if taught the game. But whether we have a knack for it, like these ladies clearly do, and how much we focus our attention on it determines our success in this arena. Our gals are undefeated champions when it comes to the net but who knows if they can shoot hoops or throw down in a cage match with the same ferocity?

Determining our psychic abilities is like anything else we do. We learn what appeals to us, what we’re good at and we go from there. My own capabilities are more along the lines of an empath. This means I have a highly developed sensitivity to others’ feelings and emotions, and sometimes I know what they’re feeling even before they do. It’s the natural way I read people, which shouldn’t be confused with reading minds. It may not be as sexy as declaring myself clairvoyant but it is what it is.

Clairvoyance is the ability to see images - past, present and future - and this is what most of us think of when we think of psychics. “I see a house falling on your sister,” comes to mind.

Whether they’re actually clairvoyant or not, psychics can use a wide range of tools and methods to help them see below the surface. Some read palm patterns, some use Tarot cards, some relate to Runes and, yes, there are still some tea-leafers out there. Some psychics use personal objects to pick up messages; and some are so well-attuned that all they need do is lay a hand on your shoulder or other body part.

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Whatever the method, psychic readings are about energy exchange. The energy that surrounds you -- aka your aura -- the energy that rubs off on the cards when you shuffle them, which causes you -- or the psychic --to choose certain cards from the deck; the energy she feels when she holds your hands. You give it off and the psychic receives it and interprets it according to his/her skills.

Knowing the accuracy and validity of these skills are key. That’s where due diligence comes in. Just like doing your homework when you buy a laptop or a car, so should you check out a psychic before embarking on this personal odyssey. Ask around. See if any of your friends or family can refer you to someone they've had a good reading from. Good, as in accurate, not as in telling them everything they want to hear. Be aware, though, that like "normal" people, psychics don't always connect with everyone in the same way. You may not have the same experience as a friend.

Call the psychic ahead of time and ask questions so you can get a feel for him/her. Your goal here is not to get them to read you over the phone but to see whether you connect. Maybe their voice sounds like scratching a chalkboard. Maybe you like that sort of thing, maybe you don’t. What's the vibe you're getting? Are they put off by a brief interview? They shouldn’t be. You may want to ask practical questions about their experience, their "specialty", their methods. If you can, try to observe the psychic. Maybe she's giving a lecture somewhere or teaching a class; maybe there's an article or book that explains his/her philosophy.

In general, I would stay away from online storefronts and telephone readings. Electronics, physical distance, distractions can interfere and distort. And though your energy can transcend the phone and wireless, there’s no substitute for the benefit of a face-to-face exchange.

And to answer the next question I know you want to ask: Yes, there are charlatans out there -- just like shyster lawyers and unqualified plastic surgeons. That’s why you have to do your homework. Don’t buy into that bullshit that psychics shouldn’t charge as a measure of their legitimacy, either. They deserve to make a living, too. Like any other service, how much you’re wiling to pay is up to you, but don’t take it for granted that a psychic who charges more is a better seer.

Last, but not least, a psychic reading is not an all-or-nothing proposition. It’s about interpretation. Just because he can see some things accurately doesn’t make him an omnipotent predictor of every factor in your life; and what she may see as a relationship with a woman may be the way she’s interpreting your relationship with your Yin energy.

Ask questions, and always follow your instinct. If you’re seeking answers to a certain dilemma, the psychic may be able to open the door to understanding but at the end of the day, the truth lies within you. If you want to see it.

What I’m happy to see is that one of my own psychic friends was right in her prediction: Barack Obama will become the next president of the United States and a new era of hope has begun.

Looking forward,

Lisa V.

Miss the last "Inner Vision"? Read it here.