What Makes a Good Psychic Reading?

There are as many kinds of psychic readings as there are readers. What makes a good reading that is helpful to you will of course depend upon what information you are looking for and the style of delivery that works for you.

That said, after years of giving and having readings, I’ve discovered that it is easy to not recognize a powerful one.

Some years ago, I did a trade with a woman for a reading. She was strong enough in her gift that even medicine people came to her for readings. Now, I had believed for years that I was a difficult person to read, but each insight I received, however small or significant, seemed to offer me confirmation of my deepest knowing.

So, I looked forward to our time together and was curious about what she would uncover. But I also went with the thought that I would be difficult to read and I was going to enjoy the challenge I perceived I presented to her.

She grew very still and very quiet. Slowly she pulled forth bits of insight—none of it new. Then in closing she stated quite clearly that my journey was to go deeply into the sacred feminine. That was it.

I was deeply disappointed. I already knew that. My goodness, I had recovered from a syndrome that had me producing as much testosterone as a male in puberty, calling myself back to balance with my feminine.

Only now do I realize what I had done and why I was disappointed. Energetically, my posture was one of challenge. I wanted to see just how much of who I am and my destiny she could see. I expected her to see some great potential in my future, and my ego was unimpressed with the reading.

Years later I laugh at myself. She couldn’t have named my sacred work any better. She nailed it. The core of my purpose and work here on earth is all about the sacred feminine, and re-establishing the awareness of sacred feminine in our spiritual consciousness.

I was looking for a reading that would stroke my ego about some important achievement before me and she gave me a true reading that identified my sacred work. The space I hold is the work I came here to do. My path lay in my capacity—my ability to be the sacred feminine. (Talk about great!)

She could have done the reading in 1 minute, with her last statement and it would have been the most powerful reading I could have received.

Over the years the nuances of my purpose have shifted. I have discovered how my unique healing and teaching abilities are part of who I am, what I am here to do and how I live out my purpose. I have quested to receive even more clarity about my purpose and my missions. All of my gifts, however I choose to recognize and identify them, are connected in purpose and I know that now.

I understand that it is my job to stay connected to my inner guidance and follow it, whether I quest for that insight, go to a reader for confirmation, enter into self-healing space to clear my own resistances, or follow what is before me like bread crumbs along a path—it is my job.

When I am confused, I might see a reader. But I don’t go any more in hope that someone will stroke my ego or that I will be wowed by their ability to see hidden places within me. I leave the challenge and my ego at home. I go for confirmation.

I listen to what the reader sees in me. Deep inside me, I know my path. When a spirit-filled reader points out either what is obvious to me or what I have been trying to ignore, I know they are speaking on behalf of my true Divine direction in this moment. If there is neither confirmation nor resistance, then I simply hold their insights for a while to see if the truth of those insights emerge at a later date.

When the reading is over it is time to act. Some of us keep looking for knowledge as if somehow knowledge is going to make us feel better—as though some insight will give us a reason for our non-action. Yet, as we act in alignment with our purpose, more is revealed. Action is necessary for deeper levels of revelation. The true measure of a good reading; therefore, may have as much to do with what we act upon as it has to do with what we have heard.

Lead Me to My Purpose

Kindness

Some of you know now, that my sister-in-law passed away last week. She was a very quiet woman, and also someone who had a profound sensitivity to others. We will miss her kindness and that twinkle in her eye that let you know she knew exactly what was going on, whether or not she chose to address it verbally.

Now my brother, whose wife just died, lies in the hospital with a nitro-glycerin pack on his chest for his heart. As I hold space for him, my niece and nephew and my recently deceased sister-in-law, the pain they are going through touches me deeply.

I’ve been so blessed that the people around me are offering their understanding and their prayers. Every request I have made for support so that I can withdraw some from my business life in order to be more present with my family has been honored with kindness.

Today I was reflecting on how blessed I am to be surrounded by so much kindness. It became a reminder to me when I am feeling impatient with someone that cuts me off in traffic, seems despondent or inattentive when waiting on me at a restaurant, or doesn’t seem to be responding to my e-mails, that I have no clue what might be happening in their lives.

Is it possible someone is cutting me off because they are trying to get to the hospital before their loved one dies? Perhaps the wait-person has just gotten a divorce and is trying to keep the pieces of their life together? Is someone not responding to an
e-mail as quickly as I like because they are responding to a serious situation at home, or a lack of help or time at work due to illness, or they may just be very busy?

Do I account for technical problems and delays? Do I allow space for the emergencies of others? How often am I quick to judge or assume that others are being disrespectful, uncaring or selfish, when perhaps they are simply doing their best to cope with their own challenging situations?

I ask myself, “Could I find a little more kindness in my heart when others are not responding to me the way I would like them to?”

Aren’t these moments the ones when I have the opportunity to put my Spiritual beliefs into meaningful practice? Am I willing to consistently choose to respond in kindness? Am I willing to let go of negative assumptions about the motivation of others and recognize them as individuals doing their best?

Today, as I give thanks for the kindness of others, I am reminded to practice the same depth of kindness I am receiving—not only with people I know—but with strangers too. They are after all, members of my spiritual family that I have not met yet. In times of our greatest need, it is the kindness of our loved ones—our spiritual family—that helps us get through.

Good news! My brother was released almost immediately. His heart is still hurting, but physically he is fine now.

More thoughts from Reverend Misa: When Your Heart Hurts Too Much to Open

Sedona Sweat Lodge

My phone has been ringing and e-mails coming in with people’s reactions to the loss of lives and physical injuries people experienced at the Sweat Lodge facilitated by James Arthur Ray during a Spiritual Warrior Retreat at a resort outside of Sedona, Arizona. I used to live in Sedona, so you can imagine how many reactions this has stirred-up in the hearts and minds of people that live there, and for many of us.

First of all, my heart-felt condolences to the family and friends of those that crossed over. I can only imagine what a tragic and shocking loss this must be for them. My heart goes out to those that were involved at every level. For whatever reason(s) this occurred, the lessons cannot be easy.

I’ve been hearing a lot of assumptions and speculation about what happened, including from me. Let me suggest we all step back from what we do not know, and instead focus on what we can learn for ourselves, so that such an event does not happen for us…unless that is our conscious desire.

I speak of conscious desire because, as I shared with a friend this weekend, if I knew it was my time to cross over, I can’t imagine a more loving, Spirit-supported place in which to leave. It would be like choosing to cross over while in the church of your choice, surrounded by beautiful Spirits in prayer and in relationship with the Divine. That said, I personally would prefer it be a conscious choice.

Some years ago, a woman had been suffering for years, and when I sang to her I could feel and hear her asking me to hold space for her so that she could finally cross over. I was honored that she trusted me and found so much Spirit in my song that she could go, but I was not prepared to hold that space for her and asked her not to leave on my watch. There was a conscious interaction in the spirit-world that we both also consciously acknowledged in the physical world. Today, I might choose differently, but then it was the right conscious choice for me to make.

However, since then, as others I have known have laid dying in their beds, I have willingly sung their song to help them easily make their transition, with their permission, and all done consciously.

Whatever unconscious agreements were going on in that lodge that day, I can’t help but consider a lesson, perhaps for many of us, about becoming more conscious participants in our journeys.

Sweat lodge is a ceremony—a serious ceremony to be respected—and not taken lightly by the one that facilitates it. When I was invited to learn the ways of and offer sweat lodge in a specific Native tradition, I knew I would need to go to the lodge in my most humble nature, stripping myself of ego, and learning how to hold safe, yet powerful space for those that entered the lodge with me.

When I was invited to participate in lodges poured by elders, roadmen and water-pourers of various Native traditions, I made sure my own intuition was saying, “Yes,” to enter the lodge. If my intuition says, “No,” I don’t go, no matter how much I might want to, and no matter how well-trained or skilled the facilitator of that lodge may be.

I only sweated with people that had been trained and were deeply connected to Spirit, following Spirit’s guidance over their own will and desires. And, as I said, I only sweat when everything in me is guided to do so. If I don’t already know, I ask about their training—what tradition they were taught to pour lodge in, how long they have been pouring, perhaps I’ll ask about who apprentices them, or what kind of lodge they pour. I want to know if it is a healing, visioning, warrior, or purification lodge, for example.

There are many kinds of lodges, poured for different reasons and done in different ways, depending upon the tradition itself and the purpose of the lodge. Each can be powerful in its own way.

I ask what they expect from me. I want to know what clothing is appropriate in their tradition, how many doors they have (how often the lodge is opened for people to have a break and get fresh air and cool down). I’ll ask their guidance on when a person may or may not leave the lodge if my body becomes over-stressed (such as between rounds for example). I find out how many people might be in the lodge and ask if they recommend making prayer ties to take into the lodge. Water-pourers I have met welcome questions. It is best for everyone if you are clear about this as being the right place for you before you enter the lodge.

I know the pourer has responsibility for my journey while I am in the lodge. So if I have an existing health condition that might be exacerbated in a lodge, I let them know. If I have been fasting, I expect them to be able to hold space for me in that state of being. But I also know ultimately, I am responsible for me. The best time to make my decision about what I’m going to do is before I ever enter the space.

Because many of us are not familiar with sweat lodge, or are entering one for the first time, we might be inclined to neglect our responsibilities in taking care of ourselves, thinking the water-pourer knows better what we need than we do. And in terms of facilitating lodge, some of us assume that because we have been to one or a few, we understand how to pour a lodge and don’t need help or instruction. In either case, we are not assuming personal responsibility and this is where and how such harm can occur.

May I suggest that we learn from the deaths and injuries of this lodge, and with greater awareness of our responsibilities, approach this powerful ceremonial space with the full respect that it and we deserve.

A Sedona Sweat Lodge Prayer.

Keep Your Inner Friends Close and Your Inner Enemies Even Closer

The concept of keeping your enemies close to you intrigued me greatly the day I read about Nelson Mandela’s practice of having his rivals over for dinner. He believed that breaking bread together broke down barriers. “No wonder his life has been such a positive and powerful influence in the world,” I thought as I finished reading the article in Time magazine about his views of leadership.

During my recent retreat in days of deep meditation and visioning, I took with me a haunting thought about someone I perceived had approached me as an enemy. Conceptually, I knew from previous experiences that when someone approaches you from an antagonistic position it does not necessarily mean you can never find your peace with each other. It simply means you must find greater understanding.

My mind remembered this concept, but my heart ached from the inaccurate assumptions that had been made about me. And so, my inner struggle accompanied me into my retreat.

After settling into compassionate sacred awareness and knowing that the external world is a reflection of the internal, I welcomed the image of my perceived rival into my sacred space. My rival came and there I sat in complete compassion and willingness to understand the perspectives of another, because those perspectives were reflections of my own doubts.

It did not take long for me to understand, and for the seeming weight of being unaccepted to be lifted. In its place, I found acceptance of another and myself—as we are—doing the best that we can in the moment.

I realized that in the end our fears were the same. We both feared unacceptance and simply had different ways of expressing the very same fear. In compassion, I could not only hold my own fear of unacceptance, but I could hold that same fear for another. In the end, we were more similar than we were different.

Before the day was over, a sweet voice from the other side of the veil whispered in my ear, “Enemies are those who come to help you define who you are.”

Isn’t it true? Is there anyone like a rival, a person with a different view point or belief, to help you define who you really are? And isn’t the bottom-line challenge an opportunity to decide whether or not you will use this fear to become your greatest self, or that which you fear?

In my case, I could either become compassion or I could become the very unacceptance I found so unacceptable. It was my own inner rival—unacceptance—that longed to know acceptance, and that was achieved through loving understanding.

Yes, during my days of silence I also held my kindness, humor, tolerance, and many more qualities in my loving embrace. I held them in love, so that they could become more of how I walk in the world. Yet, the one that needed most to be held dear was my own inner enemy. That is where I made the greatest difference. Mandela was right. Breaking bread together does break down barriers.

For a moving prayer on this topic, visit: Universal Prayers