People ask me all the time how they can develop their intuitive abilities. In order to do that I think that a person must first understand how intuition works. I think that we are all born with a level of awareness. Some are more gifted in it naturally, some less. In this way, intuition is much like singing. Everyone can sing, although, with some you may not want to stick around to listen. Some are naturally gifted singers who, without a single lesson or bit of coaching can sing to your soul and make you feel the music. Intuition is also like singing in that everyone can improve with practice.
I order to practice you must first determine which of the intuitive sense you are most inclined toward. This is a simple exercise that you can do for yourself to help determine which senses you are most gifted in. Take a pen and paper and begin to write down an explanation of your day. What you did, what you experienced, what you encountered. Once you have done this, read on.
Go through and read your own words, looking for how you tend to describe things. Did you talk about the visual aspect? Did you talk of feelings or emotions? Were you quite literal in your description? Look at your own words and find which of the senses comes through the strongest.
There are five senses, each corresponding to a higher level of awareness. Visual is clairvoyant. The ability to hear is called clairaudience. Feeling is related to the intuitive ability of empathy. Taste and smell are the hardest to link to the higher abilities. They tend to relate to levels of discernment, helping us to follow our instincts to more preferable circumstances. Then there is clairsentience. This is the sense that corresponds to the literal mind. This is the gift of simply knowing without understanding how you know. Without the visions or words or anything, you simply know. This is a form of conscious channeling. It is the most difficult to understand and master. It is important to note that no one is limited to just one of these abilities. We are simply speaking in terms of that sense you are naturally most gifted in.
Once you have determined which of the senses you are most naturally suited for it gives you a place to start building that intuition. You can begin to incorporate the proper tools and techniques specifically geared toward that ability. The final goal is to use your own intuition and awareness to begin receiving guidance for yourself and others by connecting with your Spirit Guides. It is this connection and communication with the guides that is the distinction between Extra Sensory Perception and actual psychic ability.
As mentioned before clairvoyants are extremely visual people. They respond well to symbols, tarot cards, runes. anything visual. They are also often capable of visions and remote viewing. A clairvoyants Guides will speak to them through these symbols, working with the visual means of communication.
The clairaudients Spirit Guide will communicate through audible meansthey may actually hear the voice of their Guide in their mind. Many clairaudients gain great insight simply by listening to a persons voice. Music and chanting or drumming are very useful tools for the clairaudient to use to help strengthen their connection.
Smell and taste are again, in my mind, are united here. something smells fishy or he left a bad taste in my mouth are examples of everyday uses of these intuitive abilities. Trusting to your instinct and using discernment to gain insight are the gifts of these senses. More subtle than the others, one must learn to gain insight through the tastes and smells that their Guides bring out of the memory or imagination to convey their messages. Think about how your grandmothers house smells. When that smell comes into your mind it is to remind you of something pertinent that she or that period in your life represents that you can use in your present situation. Incense and herbal teas are just two examples of how to stimulate those senses. Aromatherapy is especially effective with people who carry this type of intuition.
Empathy is the touchy/feely sense of the bunch. Empaths actually feel what is going on. An empath will ask how you are and already know before you answer because of how you feel to them. Naturally gifted in healing, both physically and emotionally, empaths typically have the hardest time letting go of what messages or connections they make. The Spirit Guide of an empath will find it easiest to speak to them through their emotions. Again, prompting memories and feelings that will convey the message that is needed. Psychometry is very popular with empaths. Taking an object and holding it to pick up the vibrations from it and let it (and your guides) speak to you. The empath prefers to make their surroundings comfortable and make physical contact to strengthen their connection.
Clairsentience is the intuitive ability of simply knowing. The information is just there. It is a form of channeling in which the Spirit Guide superimposes their thoughts on the thoughts of the intuitive. This differs from other channeling in that the intuitive is still in total control of themselves and fully conscious. They just have the type of connection to their Guides that allows for this type of melding. Learning to trust this sense is usually quite difficult but once mastered it is quite amazing. Clairsentience also allows most easily a mixing of all the other senses. The intuitive and the Spirit Guide must have a very intimate and close connection for this to work.
Once you have the understanding of which senses you are strongest in you can begin to develop your language for communicating with your Spirit Guide and focusing on the sensory perception that you are naturally inclined toward. Learn to trust your intuition. It is a natural part of who you are.
I am a clairsentient. I have also worked to develop my abilities of clairvoyance and clairaudience. I use a variety of tools to connect with the seeker and offer insight and guidance in all area of life..
Readings are probably what I'm most known for. I started doing them at the insistence of the Medicine Woman who set me on my path. She used to tell me there wasn't anything I couldn't know. Well, I don't know about that, but I will say that the things I've seen over the years have been amazing.
My guides, Tawkanaw and Gold Eagle give me the information and I relay it the best I can. Sometimes the information is quite literal and sometimes, symbolic. The funniest part is that I rarely know what the subject is that I'm talking about. It just seems to make sense to my clients. I don't know how many times I've seen something that to me was quite absurd only to have the client beam with delight because it made perfect sense to them. That is what I love about doing the readings; the moment of "discovery", when the light comes on. I have used many different tools to do my readings. My favorite is the Native American Tarot deck. My clients do tease me though, as I often forget to look at the cards.
Shane