"DETAILED" ANSWERS?

When a reader states they will deliver "detailed' answers, what does that mean? I asked several questions recently and paid for a 'detailed' reading and each answer was about 5 to 10 (short) sentences in length. I guess I expected a bit more. The answers were so vague and general. For example when I asked which past life is affecting me most in this life I got the answer: "I feel that in your last life you did not complete what you wanted to, in this life you are still working on this".....in your opinion....is this detailed? I understand that the 'answers' are not usually handed out, that we need to discover things for ourselves, but if a reading offers nothing that is helpful.....how does one learn to find a better way to phrase questions or seek qualified psychics?

Secondly, I had a dream last night that could have been a past life experience, and this experience was traumatic. This dream could answer a lot of questions I have about myself and why I fear intimacy. Is it possible for a reader to hone in on a specific past life, sort of a way to validate that my dream really was a past life experience?—Gayle, Ohio

Gayle, you have several queries here: “what constitutes a detailed reading? How do I make sure I’m getting a good one? And can a psychic help me understand a dream and tell me if it is, as I suspect, a past life?”

Let’s go right to the past life situation, as that seems most pressing for you. To me, a past life, even if only described in a few sentences, should give you a definite feel for your character, a time period, perhaps a country, and a bit about WHY this is important for you to recall during this incarnation – examples might be:

• “The constant conflict with your sister this lifetime stems from a life when the two of you were brothers, and she stole your inheritance during the Franco-Prussian War.”
• “This soul has come in as your best friend in many lives past, but chose to incarnate as your father this time to give you extra support. He has had ongoing karma with your mother stemming from 17th century Tibet.”
• “You have died or been killed several times because you chose to have children out of wedlock, including in the most recent previous life, in Chicago during the 1940s. Therefore, this time you chose to focus on a life unburdened by children of any kind.”

When you sit with me and ask for a session about your past lives, I will often give you a whole scenario…but past lives are my specialty, and I am not sure that my level of detail is a common thing. Can a psychic pick up on a dream and identify it as a past life? It’s happened. In fact, one of my favorite “client stories” is about a past life reading I did that described a life during the Civil War, where my client was heavily involved in the Underground Railroad. The scene I unfolded for her during trance was the same dream she had been having for years, right down to what the building looked like and the dress she was wearing. And she hadn’t said a word to me about it before the reading.

Does this happen all the time? I wish it did! But it happens, for me, often enough that I know it’s truly possible and not just a fluke. Meanwhile, if you have a particular past life you are interested in, try just giving the psychic a couple of salient details (“I keep seeing myself in France running away from two highwaymen”) and see if what they have to tell you matches up, or at least correlates well, with the information you’ve been given through dreamtime.

As for the detail situation – my whole ‘gig’ is about giving details, because YOU are the one who needs to make decisions about your life, not me. So I would not count this reading, if this is all it was, as detail. To be fair, however, part of it may be because it was a written reading. Frankly, I hate readings by email, to the point where I no longer bother with them; I can’t get the info down fast enough. I far, FAR prefer either phone readings or doing the session on a CD to send you. When I speak, information flows better and you get more of it, because it doesn’t have to process from brain to hand to keyboard to computer page.

For a real understanding about how to choose a good psychic and how to prep for a great session, I always recommend my articles PSYCHICS 101 and PSYCHICS 102, which can be found in the “Corbie’s Archives” part of our InfoLightenment page. Read them both, and if you really weren’t comfortable with the reading you received, you may want to go somewhere else. There are a lot of good psychics out there, so don’t give up – just choose wisely. Always do research on them ahead of time…ask for references…and remember that none of us will be more than 85% accurate. The only one 100% accurate is God, and God isn’t doing private psychic sessions as far as I know!

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RAVEN CURSED?

Is the raven a cursed bird? I personally do not believe this. I had a reading and the raven came up. My personal opinion is that this bird is a positive sign because it is noted in the Bible. Could I have your opinion on this? — Diane

Diane, the raven is either horribly evil and an omen of death (Celtic legends, European tradition) or a most magnificent bird who is a friend of man and has magical powers (Northwest Native American tribes). It all depends on one's traditions, point of view, and which folk tales one hears in childhood. But the bird itself is "neutral" -- it is a natural creature with its own habits, behaviors and social structures.

Other animals that are either good or evil, depending on your culture, are creatures like snakes, wolves and vultures. But again, it is the "spin" a particular civilization or religion puts on the animal that determines how it is viewed from country to country.

To find out more about the raven, I recommend MIND OF THE RAVEN by Bernd Heinrich. This is a scientific examination (and a very good read) by a man who has spent years studying and living with them. You'll get insight into how thr raven lives with its fellows, and how incredibly intelligent it is. See the website's WHAT'S THE RAVEN READING section for a fuller description of the book.

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SPIRIT GUIDES

I am a spiritual seeker trying to understand myself. I have been regularly meditating for last 3.5 years. In 2005 while I was sitting in front of a big church in London, suddenly someone was telling me from inside of myself that, "I am your Spirit Guide." It is a well known person. It was hard to believe, but I was very excited by the message. Over the last three years this type of information came to me many times from inside of me. Last time I asked, "are you my only Spirit Guide?" The answer was”You have a total of 5 Spirit Guides including me.” I also hear from my guardian angels but never have seen them. I typically don't hear any voice outside of me. The message comes from inside of me as if I have received a message without hearing anything. My question to you is am I making it up? Is my mind is fooling me? Or are all these real?

“Is my mind fooling me or are all these real?” Ah, and isn’t that the $64,000 question! The answer is it COULD be either one.

First, here’s how I understand angels and spirit guides. All angels are spirit guides, but not all spirit guides are angels. So you can have both.

Our guardian angels are with us from birth to death – they do not change. But spirit guides are like our teachers. We don’t have the same one from Kindergarten through Ph.D. courses – our needs change in terms of learning, complexity of lessons, and life direction. So, too, do our spirit guides change as we grow spiritually. They can come in many guides: human, animal, angelic, “ET,” other (elf/faery/elemental), or even simply energy signatures.

In my own life, the original spirit guides who came in when a lot of my abilities “broke open” in 1994 were gentlemen with whom I was very close two incarnations ago. We were pilots together, had trusted our lives to each other in a very dangerous war, and it made sense that those I trusted then would help me through a tough “beginning learning curve” this time.

These guides have, if you will, stepped aside now. They remain as friends, and I still have contact with them on a comforting level, but my main teacher is my personal angel, Baruchiel. My late father is also a spirit guide when it comes to assisting folks with medical challenges (Dad was a terrific and incisive internist/cardiologist beloved by all his patients, so he’s actually having a good time sticking with his former profession!). One who just came in recently was a respected Arapaho chief in the nineteenth century.

Now – how did I know that I really “had” these people? Generally, they give me information I could not have myself. At the time of his contacting me, I knew virtually nothing about the Arapaho people and their history. Everything this guide told me about himself was on target and verifiable, as were the reasons he chose to come in to me at this time. My father uses medical terminology that I would not know, and asks questions through me of my clients that I would not know to ask. So in these cases, I trust that I was getting real contact.

It’s not an instantaneous thing, however, and with angels or guides who may not be historical personages it’s much harder to verify that they are real and benevolent in their contacts with you. In the beginning, it’s vital that you QUESTION what you get, look for logic behind what you hear, and keep detailed notes. What happens when you listen to what your guide says? What happens if you ignore them – were they right?

There are some very specific things, however, that a spirit guide or angel WILL NOT do. If you hear these kinds of things from that little voice in your head, put it on the “do not use” shelf, because it’s NOT a guide or angel:

• it chastises you in a sharp or mean fashion, “putting you down”

• it pumps up your ego at the expense of someone else

• it tries to “guilt” you into doing something

• it encourages you to do something that is illegal, immoral or against your highest good – something that your gut knows is wrong or not in your best interests.

If you get anything like that, my friend, it’s your ego talking to you, and not anyone outside you. Ignore it!

If you want to get some concrete “training” I highly recommend OPENING TO CHANNEL: How to Connect With Your Guide by Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer. It’s the book I used when I was first learning, and it’s a great grounding source.

And always keep a journal of your communications. It will be not only a learning tool but a treasure trove of your spiritual growth in years to come.

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SEEING LOVE

As COURAGEOUS SOULS channels, my friend and colleague Staci Wells and I get letters from all over the world. These letters are from readers sharing their questions, hopes and fears with us. Recently, we received a very heartfelt one which ended with this paragraph:

While reading Courageous Souls, I noticed all of you are able to see the pure white light carrying love. Where do I learn to do this knowingly? I cannot teach that which I am not able to do deliberately and if I cannot teach this, I will fail miserably my life’s work.

Staci’s answer was particularly eloquent, and we share it with you here:

The one thing I feel guided to say to you is that you do not need to be clairvoyant in order to do the work that your highest calling seems to be demanding of you. Who greater to teach unconditional love than the person who has had to overcome virtual abandonment and who has had to first learn to love herself and then all others? Who knows the importance of such unconditional love more than such a person?

To see the white light is not necessary to feel it and teach it. Drop down out of your head/intellectual-space into heart-space, where your heart chakra is. Come from there. Live in that space. Feel the bliss of unconditional love of all.

Know this: It is the journey that is every bit as important as the destination - and often more important than the destination itself. Life is a process, a journey, and it would seem that you have a choice to take the path you thought you would take or the path that your heart and soul dictates. Either way, whatever you eventually wind up doing, know that it's all about unconditional love. The greater purpose of life in schoolhouse earth is to learn to let go of fear and learn to love unconditionally.

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TALKING TO DEAD PEOPLE

I was interested in talking to someone that has passed away that is important to me. I tried a medium in Sacramento but she would not verify any information on the individual so I can know it is real. She even said the individual was with us at that time, so I did not set up an appointment with her. What type of medium are you, and can you have clear vivid conversations with the astral/celestial spirits you are talking to? —Daniel, Sacramento CA

The first thing that you need to know about ANY psychic medium is that none of us are 100% accurate, nor are we 'dial-a-dead' -- there are occasions and situations where the departed spirit simply isn't around to talk to us. We don't "stop" when we die -- there's lots to do out of the body: lessons to learn, places to go, jobs to do. (My own father, a marvelous cardiologist who died in 2001, is *still* doing medical consulting with certain of my intuitive colleagues!)

The way I do mediumship is specific from the get-go. I do not fish for names or relationships; I feel that's a waste of time. I ask for the full name of the person you want to speak to, how they are related to you (mother, friend, classmate, brother), the year they died and how old they were. That gets me into their energy. I will tell you the kind of person I'm picking up. If it feels to you like it could be your loved one, then I will ask them for 3-4 things that you will remember. It could be a gesture, a habit, a physical recognition symbol -- it varies. Things I have gotten: one father in law showed up with a pool cue -- he taught my client how to play pool. One man showed up in a tux with a big red bow tie -- the tie had been his, and was given to the son posthumously. One man came in and immediately saluted his daughter, who was in the RCMP (I did not know that when I told her about the salute).

However, don't come in with a specific set of criteria. That sets it up to be a "prove-it-to-me" parlor game, and is never successful. Example: my father's tag line, whenever he called family members on the phone, was "this is the Mysterious Stranger." And though I've spoken to him dozens of times since his death, through my own abilities and other mediums who have picked him up, he has never come in with that most beloved and amusing of phrases. Lots of other things that were on target -- but not that.

One last caveat, at least with working with me: if you don't remember your person -- say, they died when you were 2 or 3, or in some cases before you were born -- it's probably not going to work, because you won't have any visceral, 'gut' memories to draw on. I'm very picky about information regarding dead folks -- it's too easy to get bamboozled, so I insist on having information that you can recall from personal experience.

To find a good medium, ask to see the psychic’s testimonials (mine are on the “About Corbie” page), or for references to call. If someone’s good, the “word on the street” will let you know.

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SPIRIT GUIDES

A psychic at a psychic fair recently told me that my spiritual guides were not present because they were confused as to how they could help me and thus I had been "abandoned" until they can figure out how to guide me. I found this rather odd as my own beliefs as well as the many books I have read (including Courageous Souls) reinforce that the spirit guide or guides are always present. In her reading, I felt this psychic provided a great deal of accurate information about me without asking any questions, but I found her observation odd. Can you shed light on the presence of spirit guides? —Karen

Spirit guides are one of the most blessed and important parts of our "incarnational toolbox." In my understanding, gained from over thirty years of metaphysical work — and also from talking to other metaphysicians I honor and trust, such as Staci Wells, Rachel Ginther and Crystal Wind — we all agree on one thing. Your guides are always there. They are never "not present."

This is not to say that they will continually have answers for you. Sometimes, because they know that growth and spiritual understanding is the #1 goal for any incarnation, they will sit things out — not give us any particular guidance. Why? Sometimes the most valuable part of a life lesson is figuring out how to get to the answer we seek, even more than the answer itself. However, they are ALWAYS there on the sidelines: loving us, cheering us on, and giving us strength and courage. The trick is to know the difference between guidance and using them as crutches. And there are times when all of us depend on them a little too much (note Corbie's little white wing raised here; she's not been exempt from that particular lesson!). That's when they go silent, waiting for you to access your own Inner Knowing, because they know YOU have your own answers in there. It just needs a little digging to unearth them.

My own take on this incident is not that your guides "could not figure out how to guide you." Rather, they saw several different — and valid — paths you could take at your particular point in life, and rather than limit your choices, they wanted you to move forward to discover what was most important to you at this time. "Abandonment" and "confusion" are limiting/human concepts, and spirit guides (whether angels, ETs, discarnates, energy beings, or any other entity that might want to be part of your Upstairs Team) are anything BUT human or limited. Even those discarnate-but-once-incarnate human souls who are guides have a larger viewpoint once the body is shed.

So: with respect, I will disagree with the conclusion of your psychic fair psychic. I think she was correct in intuiting that your guides did not have answers for you at that time, and that she was not getting anything from them for you. But their celestial seats were filled as always; the Upstairs Phone Line was still connected; and they were still, as they always will be, sending you courage, strength, resilience (and humor!) to walk your Path with joy and an open mind, hands and heart, to grasp your Life Lessons and take all you can from them.

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FAMILY GATHERINGS

Recently I attended an expo In London. The first day I was there I had a reading done by a psychic from Ontario. My former Medium has retired and I always asked her about "family gatherings.” It was understood that family gatherings were funerals but never was I told who, what, where or when just that there would be none, one, two etc. within the next 2 years and not necessarily family. This Ontario psychic however, was very specific about my Mother and my Mother-In-Law. When I returned the next day to have a reading done by you, I mentioned this and you were very upset as it apparently circumvents the legalities of the expo and laws. My question is: I can understand this in a public expo but in a private reading, can I be told, if I ask, about "family gatherings," of course without the who etc. — Debbie, St. Thomas, Ontario

Debbie, this is one of the trickiest areas of psychic reading that I can think of.

First and foremost: yes, in some places it's illegal to predict a death, even indirectly. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has a fifty year old ordinance saying it is illegal to "tell fortunes, predict a death or offer to cure a curse for money." Someone in the Philadelphia Police Department dug up this dusty and outdated law this summer, and within a few days there was a sweep of every reader, teacher and metaphysical store in Philadelphia. They were told that if they were caught doing business after the warning they received that day, they'd be thrown in jail. Every one of them. Yes, that was a bigoted, threatening show of force by the police squad "just because they could do it" and the law (or at least the upholding of it) was overturned in court a few days later; but the threat is still on the books, and it's not the only place where psychics can be harassed and arrested, by any means.

So that's the legal question. But what about places it's not technically against the law -- is it proper practice? There are differing views on it, but I’ll give you mine – and yes, it’s a very strong opinion.

When we plan our lives in our pre-birth planning sessions (and for more on that, read COURAGEOUS SOULS by Robert Schwartz), we plan on several different “exit points.” Our Higher Self sets things up so that we have multiple exit points from which to choose in life. As an example, one person's life may have four possible exit points "built in": dying at 6 from an uncontrolled high fever, dying at 27 from brain cancer, dying at 43 from falling out a window, or dying at 78 from a car accident.

Note that there’s no guarantee that any one of these particular exit points is inevitable (except for the last one, if the Higher Self has determined that a 78 year lifespan is “enough” for this incarnation). But thoughts are things. If a psychic (especially one you trust) tells you that they see your mother dying, if you’re like most people, you’ll dwell on it. If your mother gets sick, or has an accident, you will literally be waiting for her to die, because that’s what someone “saw.” And if your mother finds out what the psychic “saw” (and no matter how careful you are, someone is likely to spill the beans), that can drastically change her own outlook on her recovery, on how everyone treats her, on her decisions about her medical protocol – it affects everything down the line. And it might be enough to send your mom out of that exit door, when it didn’t really have to happen.

A psychic at a show I did in Liverpool NY sat with a man who had had half his jaw removed from cancer. His wife sat with him because he could no longer speak. The psychic threw down some cards, looked at them, looked at the man’s wife and callously said “Seven months. That’s all you have.” How horrible! It took me; my mediumship mentor, Rev. Jane; and the promoter of the fair, Aynnie McAvoy a full evening to do “damage control.”

Same thing with disease reports. A week before my wedding, I was introduced to a high-profile, well-known psychic who is on the same "show circuit" as I am. He shook my hand and said, "Ohhh...stomach cancer, within two years, and you'll have a terrible time getting rid of it."

This was a double barreled mistake: It put in my mind a disease I’d never contemplated having. It came from someone who has an international reputation, has read celebrities – the whole bit. And I didn't need that unsolicited advice days before getting married!

As we've all seen, he was wrong. Still, it shook me up for some time until I got it dismissed from my own consciousness – and I’m a psychic who knows all about change-your-thoughts-change-your-destiny. What about people who don’t know how to derail such frightening predictions? Doom-and-gloom prophecies, dreadful curses – they all work the same way. If you believe them, if you let them get under your skin – you’ve done all the work for the one who said such things to you, and disaster almost always results.

Now: you said that you would only want to know about deaths in general, not specific ones. I would ask you to ask yourself honestly: What payoff do you get for even asking such a question and walking around with that knowledge?

I would tell you only this: there is no true need to know. We will all die. Eventually, every one of your family members will be the star of a “family gathering.” Use every day wisely; make sure that every time you spend time with someone you love, everything gets said, so there are no regrets. Get wills written, funerals planned, vacations taken, pictures taken – LIVE! Live like tomorrow is your personal “family gathering” day. And when transitions come, they will be at the perfect time. You may grieve and miss those who have gone on – but you won’t have wasted a single moment anticipating the event.

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SHAPING OUR FUTURE

I was quite shocked when I read at your website that "even the order in which we do our errands can shape our future...'' I have believed my whole life that major events in our lives are planned prior to our birth. If we are hit by truck JUST because we went to the grocery store before the pharmacy that implies there is no meaning, or lesson to be learned in this accident, and it wasn't destined to happen, it was just a random event. To me that means that, for example, a major heartbreak could have been avoided just if, say, the timing for telling certain things to a person, was a month earlier, or later, etc. Can you please explain this?

The conundrum you're facing is one that hits everyone on the Enlightenment Road eventually.

Our Higher Self sets things up so that we have multiple exit points from which to choose in life. As an example, one person's life may have four possible exit points "built in": dying at 6 from an uncontrolled high fever, dying at 27 in a motorcycle accident, dying at 43 from falling out a window, or dying at 78 from colon cancer. Also, choice is in itself preplanned.

If an accident is something that was planned between you and the driver of the truck to balance karma or for creating a new learning situation, it can happen later in the same day, on another day, or at any time that is conducive to activating your exit point for whatever closure you want to bring to your lifetime. As the personality makes that split second decision ("Pharmacy first, or grocery store?"), that is also your Higher Self evaluating that particular exit point and deciding whether or not to activate it.

Regarding your thoughts on the "major heartbreak" situation: again, if your Higher Self deems that the personality has learned enough about interpersonal relationships to avoid the heartbreak and instead choose new, more peaceful and supportive paths, you'll get that little Noodge to either put off the discussion, reword what you were planning to say, or perhaps even get a flash of insight that allows you to comfortably see your partner's point of view, thereby negating the need for the discussion that would lead to the heartbreak situation in the first place. If the inherent lesson is not learned, then the chance for that difficult discussion may occur again at a later date.

There are many forks in the road that are preplanned. We get that either/or choice - that is what free will is all about, and why one can believe in BOTH free will and predestination. We go into a particular life with the understanding that our tendencies in the past have been to make certain choices when we have certain experiences. If we want to learn to make different choices this time, we may set up the same "trip trigger" that has resulted in problems in the past, allowing ourselves the chance to take a different road. As my colleague Rev. Staci Wells so eloquently puts it, "life is like a computer flow chart: we come to a question point. If we choose answer "A" we go in one direction. Answer "B" gives us another direction. We set up our lives with many of these nexus points." A lot of karmic based romantic relationships are a pure replay of the interactions of previous lives, up to that critical juncture where the karmic lesson is either learned, and the karmic knot undone, or it's just a case of same-old-same-old, and the Higher Selves involved plan to do it again - either with each other in another life, or setting up the same type of nexus point for their personalities with other relationships in this life.

Regardless of whether something "feels" preplanned or spontaneous, one rule is Ironclad: The Higher Self is excellent at making sure it gets its homework completed!

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NEGATIVE PREDICTIONS

I have a personal history inundated with possible psychic predictions that came true out of my own powers. I'm curious about what you do, as a psychic, when you predict future events for either your own future or events in the world that you wouldn't want, from personal preference, to happen? Not all psychic predictions are merely expressions of people's personal wishes or dreams. If you believe in your own powers based on your predictions coming true in the past, and you predict negative happenings that may go against something you'd want to happen...then how do you go on, or take any action in the world or get involved in activities that you may want but that you feel very strongly won't happen simply from having faith in your own supersensitive psychic feelings-power?

I make it a point not to "predict." That surmises that there is nothing one can do to change a potentially negative situation. My entire philosophy is "here are your opportunities and here's how to grab them...here are your challenges and here’s how to get through them -- or around them." Also, while I believe in my own abilities, my philosophy and understanding is that even the best psychics are only 85% accurate. The only one 100% accurate is GOD, and HeSheIt isn't doing any psychic fairs that I know of.

Secondly: I always make sure that the person for whom I'm reading knows that they have FREE WILL in any situation, from failing tests to car crashes. Read my answer to "specific readings" under ASK CORBIE for more on that.

As a three time breast cancer survivor, I know that the best way to deal with any tough situation or negative happening is to (a) viscerally "get" the lesson involved, (b) have NO self pity, and (c) always say "what's next?"

Lastly: you say "having a personal history inundated with possible psychic predictions that came true out of my own powers." As long as you think it's your powers, you will have trouble. When you completely give up the idea they are "your" powers and accept that you are just the metaphysical garden hose through which information comes for those who seek your help, you will feel far less responsible for their actions, and be more open to various possibilities on how what you see ahead can be handled. (Reading 1000-1500 people a year, I had to learn that lesson fast, or I would have collapsed.) Ego -- whether it comes with pride or concern around being "right" enough for people -- will short-circuit your abilities and you won't be nearly as open to potentials.

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MINOR MIRACLES

I’ve had a number of what I call “minor miracles” occur in my lifetime that have made me wonder about what or who’s communicating with me. Ultimately, when I receive these messages I just give a wink and say thanks. For the most part I don’t really know they’re messages until after the connection between the message and reality is made. And usually, it’s just a thought that “floats” across my mind. No images or voices.

I interpret this kind of stuff as my angels reminding me that they’re around. I haven’t noticed anything for the past six months, so does that mean my angels believe I don’t need to rely on them as much presently? (Sure feels like I need them in a big way right now.) I’m curious to know your interpretation of this kind of stuff.

When this "extra-ordinary” information comes through, it could well be your angels – but it could also simply be your own Higher Self (some people say Oversoul) making you more aware of the energy connections available to all of us. Think of it this way: EVERYONE has the capability to do the kind of psychic work I do. We’re all “wired” like houses built from the same construction plan. What’s the difference between those that get messages (like you) and those that don’t? I call it the “circuit breaker” – made up of your belief systems, your cultural conditioning, and your honest desire to access that kind of Knowing. The more open you are, the more the circuit breaker is set towards “off” so the power – the Knowing – flows.

The wiring and circuit-breaker in all of us means everyone can benefit from taking basic psychic awareness classes. While the particular “brand” of wiring you have may determine how you receive things (example: my friend, psychic Karyn Reese, is very good at getting names and numbers in her mediumship; my abilities tend more toward pictures, feelings and physical structure), if you truly desire to access this kind of information, you can.

As for your question about not getting anything for six months, it could be that there are other things (stress, work, a different life-focus) that are putting your connections on the back burner. Could be you’re doing so well on your own you don’t need the Upstairs “noodge.” Or it could be that your ability to access this is now so good that you don’t even realize when it happens! Whatever the reason, relax and enjoy the flow, knowing that you will get the information you need by whatever method your guides and angels deem most efficient.

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PSYCHIC “DRIVE-BYS”

What do you do when a psychic comes up to you and insists that they have to tell you something, or otherwise gives you a reading/makes a prediction and you didn't ask for it? A psychic walked up to me at a psychic expo, saying she could tell I was worried about my daughter, and something terrible was going on with her I needed to know about. I was startled and upset, and frankly I didn't want to hear that—my wife was having serious surgery in a week and I was focused on her. (The psychic insisted the problem was with my child, not just a vague "a woman in your life" thing.) And it turned out nothing unusual was going on with my daughter anyway -- so it was extra worry for nothing. How do you keep people from doing that?

To be blunt, you've hit one of my hot buttons -- I call this a "drive-by psychic shooting."

Some psychics do feel that, when they get an intuitive message for a stranger, it has to get through. Most have the courtesy to ask "May I tell you something?" or say "I have a message for you" and wait for permission to continue.

A psychic who insists they have a reading for you and you MUST listen to them or something dire will happen (sometimes even grabbing your arm or otherwise stopping you) is trampling on your free will and invading your personal space -- inappropriately, inconsiderately and unprofessionally so. It happens to many of us: a week before my wedding, I was introduced to a high-profile, well-known psychic who is on the same "show circuit" as I am. He shook my hand and said, "Ohhh...stomach cancer, within two years, and you'll have a terrible time getting rid of it."

I didn't need that unsolicited advice days before getting married! And as we've all seen, he was wrong. Still, it shook me up for some time until I got it dismissed from my own consciousness.

Anyone can feel pole-axed when this happens: it comes out of the blue, you are unprepared, and those fearful and negative thoughts can take root right away unless you stop them in their tracks. The appropriate response is to interrupt the message-giver in mid-sentence and say firmly "EXCUSE ME, but I did not ask for a reading and I do not want to hear what you have to say." If they keep pushing, raise your voice if you have to and say "I did not ask for a reading and I refuse your information." And walk away. If they follow you, you are being stalked and harassed and should handle it the same way you would in any harassment situation -- find someone in charge, report the person and leave it to the authorities to handle it.

I view reading people "across the table" in the same fashion. Psychic abilities are still misunderstood in a lot of places, and people are scared that we read their minds as they walk by. A psychic who leans across a booth and says "your dead grandfather has a message for you" or "there's a dangerous accident you can avoid, let me tell you about it" is trying to hook your emotions in order to get you to have a session with them. Don't buy it

It's the reason why I refuse to intuitively focus on people outside my own "office," wherever it is at the moment (expo, party, etc.). How would you feel if you said hello to your OB/GYN at a cocktail party, and the next thing you knew he was lifting your skirt and discussing a diagnosis? Pretty darn upset, because (a) it's not an appropriate venue and (b) you didn't ask him to.

Having your privacy and free will honored by me is paramount if you are to trust what I tell you in an intuitive session! And that goes for every single psychic you ever work with. If they consider their "will" more important than yours, and cross your comfort boundaries -- LEAVE.

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ASKING QUESTIONS

Friends, this is a very important column, because it goes to the heart of why one talks to a psychic, and what I owe you, as clients, in terms of ethics. I recently had a client that asked a number of inappropriate questions, looking for myriad details on a number of things. Some examples of the questions were:

“I need to know the terms of the new contract for the new loan with ____ and ____ plus details of God's plan for them to makeup for botching the ____ deal and what they need to do to rectify this, plus what they can be doing at the store to make it more successful?”

“What is upsetting ____ and what needs to be done to have her stay at our store and when does this have to beresolved by?”

“What has ____ offered her to entice her away from the store and what future plans does ____ have to sabotage ____ and ____'s business at the store?”

“If the Archangel still wants the income tax department notified of fraudulent activity by ____ and what information should be given and will I incur any displeasure from God or is this part of his plan?”

“What needs to be done to sell our house: what furniture goes and how to sell it, what furniture needs to be bought and where to get it, what rooms to be painted and what colours, what to do with the fireplaces, what to do with kitchen counters and cupboards, what to do with the flooring throughout the house; what to do with the basement and how to decorate it; what to do with the garden/furniture for comfort/ resale; which doors/windows to replace....

" Will I win the lottery and how will that affect my future plans with this current house and the business and moving out of the country?”

“Should I go to ____? Why should I go? Should I go with my husband? When should I go to the location/address of the property I am to buy and what I am meant to do there?”

“ ____ , what does the Archangel want me to know about her and should we stay with her in ____ ?”

“Will ____ lose the store because she has lost God's favor and what has she done to cause this to happen and if so what can she do to regain God's favor?”

When a client asks questions like this, they have crossed the line between using psychic advice and abrogating responsibility for their own life. Questions such as "will I win the lottery" are absolutely not the kind of questions that an angel—or any true spirit guide—will answer. They are concerned with guiding you to live a good life, full of learning and accomplishments. Winning the lottery has nothing to do with anything but money. It does not strengthen you, give you wisdom, or move you along your journey's path— and those are the kinds of things on which our Upstairs Helpers wish to guide us.

Questions asking for minute details, such as "what will a house cost to build, who do we invite to a retirement party, what color do we paint our roof" and so on, are worldly questions. Upstairs Helpers do not particularly care one way or the other, to be honest. They are here for our soul's journey, not our personality's. Answers to such things can be determined by simple analysis, recognizing what you want to do, what appears to be best in a situation, and working toward that goal. If you do things constantly according to what someone else tells you, you are not using your own free will. If you make some mistakes, then that is what we are here to do; we are not perfect. Mistakes and so-called 'failures' are rerouted opportunities, neither more nor less.

Questions like "will such and such happen because she has lost God's favor" are impossible to answer because we cannot lose God's favor. God is not like our third grade best friend who likes us on Thursday and turns her back on us on Monday because we did something or other. That is casting God in human guise, and is a complete negation of what He/She/It stands for and His/Her/Its unconditional love
for us.

As for the rest—if you are spending so much time writing down all these questions and then waiting for a psychic (or an Upstairs Helper speaking through the psychic) to give the answers when you should be consulting your own knowledge and responsibility (which means "ability to respond") then you are wasting your own time and your own money.

I have told people in my "Psychics 101" class that psychics who feed such needs prey on those who do not feel in charge of their own lives. Countless times we have heard of someone paying thousands of dollars to have a hex lifted, to chase away an evil spirit, to get rid of a rival, to force another person to fall in love with them, to cause misfortune to a perceived enemy, or for magic numbers that will win the Irish Sweepstakes. The reasons are endless—and, sad to say, there are those who are in the psychic business solely for the money and the power, and they will use your weakness!

To any client, I say that if you come away from this discussion with one piece of information fixed in your mind, make it this —YOU are the one who can heal your own life, meet your own challenges, and create your own karma. No one else. Nor, Karmically, do you have the right to get information on what other people are thinking, what they mean to do or what you are supposed to do to or about them through me. That is 'remote spying.' You are only in charge of your own life. And, by extension, the psychic who tells you all the myriad details you are asking for, is assuming that your free will is theirs for the taking. It is only a short step from "what do I do" to a psychic saying "if you do not do this-or-that (and pay me a lot of extra money) then your life will be dreadful."

When a client reaches this level of need, while I wish them well and blessings, I will no longer read for them, because I do not think they fully understand how to work with a psychic in order to empower themselves; rather, they are purely focused on getting a lot of directions so that they won't "make a mistake." And that makes me, rather than a mentor, a guru in charge of someone else's life - and that's most definitely not what I am, nor is it what I wish to be.

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GETTING "OFF MESSAGE"

Thank you for the opportunity. I saw you speak at the Holistic Expo in York, PA. My question is: What do you say to a psychic who, during a reading, gets "off message." Meaning, instead of giving information from Spirit, launches into,"Well, that happened to my sister (friend, cousin, etc.) and this is what she did.." How do you get from "Dear Abby" advice, back to the message from Spirit?

What a terrific question!

It's so tempting for all of us who are "intuitive counselors" to counsel from experience. But that's ego talking. . . the assumption that our lives are important enough to affect yours. One of the things I strive to do is to be a 'clear channel' for those I counsel. I keep my suggestions out of the reading. (After all, you didn't come to pay good money to hear about MY life, but yours!) You'll hear me talk over and over again about keeping ego out of the reading, because if the psychic can't, then it just might be because the psychic can't get his/her mind off his/her own story. Additionally, if the psychic is at all nervous about his/her own reading and accuracy skills, he/she may immediately jump to an advisory capacity.

There are, of course, exceptions: for instance, when someone comes to me who has cancer, or asks about a relative who has cancer, I do share with them that I've survived it three times, and OFFER to share what I found useful—then go on and read for them to get Spirit's take on things. Any information I have for them from personal experience is "in addition to" not "instead of." Or sometimes the person for whom I'm reading does not "get" what Spirit is trying to tell them—"I don't understand, that doesn't make sense"—and I might therefore share an example in my life or another's which resonates. But that's a last resort.

It is completely polite for you to interrupt the psychic and say, "Madame Hoohah, I'm sure it's an interesting story, but I'm not here to find out what others did. I'm here to find out what I should do, and I'd like to have instruction from Spirit." And if the psychic takes offense or pushes to continue the way they see fit, then you may politely excuse yourself and leave. If it's within the first 5-10 minutes of a reading (depending on how long the reading is), you might even ask for your money back, explaining, "I don't think we're connecting here."

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NEGATIVE FORCES

I have a question about protection from negative forces. . . What I would like to know is what type of jewelry, preferably a necklace/pendant, I could get. I read there are certain gems, stones, talismans etc. that help protect you from negativity. Do you have any suggestions on what I should get and where I could get it from? I'm wanting to try something because a lot of negative things seem to happen. Thanks.

Protection with talismans and amulets goes back millennia - ever since Oorg the Caveman decided that a certain shiny black pebble kept him from becoming mammoth mush if he carried it in his belt pouch!

While you're looking for protection stones, however, it wouldn't be a bad idea to learn about stones and crystals in general, and one of the best and most respected sources for that is the book series by Melody. The primary source you want is called LOVE IS IN THE EARTH: A Kaleidoscope of Crystals.

As I've often mentioned, this is also a place for me to consult folks I trust about information in which they're experts—so I placed a call to David Keys and Barbie Hathaway of Drakonian Star in Syracuse, New York. (If you see Corbie wearing a stone or crystal necklace, 90% of the time it's their work.)

Barbie says, "One of the most reliable stones for protection is black tourmaline, well known to deal with any negativity. Black tourmaline has a hexagonal crystal, but you will usually find that it has ridges paralleling the octagonal crystalline structure, with striations going up against the edges. It looks almost like rough bark on the outside. It deflects and repels negative energy, especially psychic attack. It protects against microwave, radiation, "spells" and ill-wishing. It grounds spiritual energy while increasing physical vitality. It defends against debilitating disease and strengthens the immune system. It is also said to treat dyslexia and arthritis. Black tourmaline comes carved, in bead form as well as in lovely chunks.

Black star diopside is a stone to look for. It is like a black star sapphire, the difference being that star sapphires have six points in their central star, and diopside has four. It's also called the Black Star of India. This stone helps balance between science and art, and can act as a gateway for Spirit to see inside of our worlds or our hearts. It is a terrific balancing stone, and I have always found when one is in balance, it's harder for the nasty things outside to tip you over! You understand the duality of Self. If you understand your dark side as well as your light, outside forces can't get in. If you set your parameters, 'I am not letting (x) in' and make that as part of your everyday protection, then you are within balance."

From David Keys: "In my opinion the most powerful protection stone is jet. Jet is black amber and has been used over the centuries to absorb the negativity thrown at you by others. Energy, when repelled, comes back later and repelling negative energy hits harder the second time around. It is always best to just stop accepting the energy, and to discover the spiritual reasons for the negativity; Jet is a great stone to carry and wear to get time away from the stress to look inside and find the root of the issue. Remember, each person holds their own answers to all their questions. Work to find who can help you unlock the door to your 'inner world.' The stones are tools for self discovery and never to be used as crutches to replace the work on our selves."

Hope this helps! If you (or anyone else) is interested in protective jewelry, Drakonian Star can be reached at barbarah@twcny.rr.com.

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SPECIFIC READINGS

I had a reading a few weeks ago by a psychic. I was asking people a few days before if anyone could recommend someone. I just came across this psychic place out of no where, and she gave me a great reading. I felt happy with it though she seemed incredibly specific . . . she told me the women I would want to marry, was a Gemini, with light hair and dark eyes, her name started with an L, she is not in the country but she will be by June when I meet her, and her family comes from a law background, and she likes to travel and write, I shouldn't rush things though and there will be someone jealous of the relationship. Now that was incredibly specific . . . I have talked to some people that know a lot on the subject and they have said that was WAY too specific and she was just trying to give me false hope when I needed it.

My question is how accurate is this reading? I mean I did see a lot of similarities, and she was pretty good at defining the current situation. However, after talking to people I have some small doubts . . . could she be this accurate?

I can't really say if she was 'too specific' or not. I wasn't there —and I make it a point not to "diss" other psychics.

Frankly, however, I shy away from those kind of predictions—let me tell you why. This woman may indeed come into your life exactly as foretold. Yet there may be ANOTHER woman, just as suitable, just as 'right' who would lead you on another valid path in your life. But now that you have been focused on Miss "L" you would probably ignore her, thereby short-circuiting choice and free will.

My belief is that psychics can be mentors, but must NEVER be gurus. We can help you choose by showing you options, but nothing is written in stone. Even the order that you do your errands can shape a future—for instance, if you go to the grocery store before the pharmacy, you could be hit by a truck. Reverse the order of the errands, and the truck and you are nowhere near each other, and you live. See what I mean?

I have many testimonials that tell me how accurate I am, that things happened in the order I talked about them during a reading. I'm always pleased to hear that, but I deliberately don t focus on my "percentage of accuracy" because then I'm concentrating on ME, my ego, and my statistics. And my work is not about my ego at all. I am not important—you, my client, are. All I ever do is ask that God and your guides give me the information that you need, so I can lay it out in front of you. As a result, I generally am very good telling you about Life's pathways and twists and turns—but I don't name every rock, tree and bug you'll pass on the journey!

All that said, there are some people who make a practice of predicting this way and they can be accurate. But I certainly would not choose to allow a perfect stranger to blueprint my life like that.

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INDIGO CHILD

I am undoubtedly an indigo child. Where do I go from here? I need some direction and information to start living the way I need to. Some support from kindred spirits would also be helpful.

Thanks for the question. There are four sites I am going to suggest right off the bat that are extremely helpful: www.metagifted.org, www.indigochild.com, www.indigonetwork.org and www.kryon.com. You'll quickly be able to link up with other Indigos (and Crystal Children, the "Next Generation" after Indigos, who are just beginning to arrive) and not feel so alone!

It's important that if you are Indigo, you get some ground rules for yourself. A quick search on amazon.com reveals a good twenty recent books on Indigos. Some of them are listed here:

• An Indigo Celebration: More Messages, Stories,
  and Insights from the Indigo Children, by Lee Carroll

• Care and Feeding of Indigo Children, by Doreen Virtue

• How to Raise an Indigo Child: 10 Keys for Cultivating
  a Child's Natural Brilliance, by Barbara Condron

• The Crystal Children: A Guide to the Newest Generation
  of Psychic and Sensitive Children, by Doreen Virtue

• The Indigo Children: The New Kids Have Arrived, by Lee Carroll

And I highly recommend that you go right to our own InfoLightenment segment of the website: scroll down to the archives (right below the current article); you'll find a piece on Indigo Children by one of your own, Noey Keys of Gaia's Traditions.

For those who don't know what Indigo Children are (or if you are wondering if you or your child might be Indigo) try checking this list by Wendy Chapman - just a sample of the great information at metagifted.org. Don't be surprised if you recognize yourself.

Indigo Children:

• Have strong self esteem, connection to source
• Know they belong here until they are told otherwise
• Have an obvious sense of self
• Have difficulty with discipline and authority
• Refuse to follow orders or directions
• Find it torture waiting in lines, lack patience
• Get frustrated by ritual-oriented systems that require little creativity
• Often see better ways of doing things at home and at school
• Are mostly nonconformists
• Do not respond to guilt trips, want good reasons
• Get bored rather easily with assigned tasks
• Are rather creative
• Are easily distractible, can do many things at once
• Display strong intuition
• Have strong empathy for others or NO empathy
• Develop abstract thinking very young
• Are gifted and/or talented, highly intelligent
• Are often identified or suspected of having ADD or ADHD, but can focus when they want to
• Are talented daydreamers and visionaries
• Have very old, deep, wise looking eyes
• Have spiritual intelligence and/or psychic skills
• Often express anger outwardly rather than inwardly and may have trouble with rage
• Need our support to discover themselves.
• Are here to change the world—to help us live in greater harmony and peace with one another and to raise the vibration of the planet.

Blessings! Corbie

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TAROT CARD HISTORY

Is it true that Tarot cards came from a deck of real playing cards? I've seen some people tell fortunes with regular cards —is that wrong?

There are many theories on the origins of tarot in existence —Ancient Egyptians, gypsies, Atlantis - but historical evidence points to a beginning in the mid 15th century in northern Italy.

Tarot was around long before our standard deck of cards (though there are some sources who will tell you just the opposite), and the deck was used to play card games as well as tell fortunes. At one point, however, a divergence occurred —the Knight and Page were combined to become the "Jack" card. The Tarot suits were changed: rods or wands became clubs; swords became spades; cups became hearts; and pentacles became diamonds.

It's not 'wrong' to tell fortunes with regular playing cards—as you can see from the above, if you know which suits stand for which original Tarot suits, it's fairly easy to make the cross-interpretation. However, I prefer the nuance and beauty that the original Tarot deck lends to a reading.

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