Developing Your Intuitive Gifts

"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift."
–Albert Einstein

Everyone is intuitive!

One of the first places to start developing your intuition is by becoming aware of how you receive your messages.

Some people are “feelers,” some people “just know,” and others “see” a vision or have dreams about things.

Yes, we all have the ability to do each one of these, and we all have a primary mode of intuitive communication.

The different ways you receive Intuitive (or Psychic) messages are often referred to as one of the “Clairs.” The word “Clair” comes from 17th-century French, meaning "clear." So someone who is clairvoyant is “clear seeing.”

By the way, the word “psychic” comes from the Greek word meaning “Soul,” and the word “medium” comes from the Latin word for “psychic.”

The four most common “Clairs” are:

Clairvoyance (clear vision/seeing/prophetic dreaming)
This means you often have dreams or see pictures and images in your mind and can look at something or someone and see what is about to happen.
Clairsentience (clear feeling/touching/sensing)
This means you get messages by feeling or sensing them; you may feel something is wrong or “off” about something or someone, you might feel that it is good or bad, you may feel it as emotion, you may feel it in your gut, or you may get sensations on your skin, like goosebumps or chills.
Clairaudience (clear hearing/listening)
This means you hear your messages. You might hear a soft voice giving you guidance or a warning. You have telepathic ability to hear thoughts, you can also hear what isn’t being said when someone is speaking to you. You have deep listening ability and can “hear” what is going on with someone when they are speaking to you. You may also get messages from songs that play after you’ve asked a question.
Claircognizance (clear knowing)
This means you just know something; the answer just comes to you in a flash.

The other two less common “Clairs” are:

Clairalience (clear smelling)
This means you have developed your sense of smell to alert you to good things as well as bad things. You may get a specific smell before you meet someone or go somewhere, and once you learn to understand what the smell is telling you, you can avoid potentially dangerous situations. You may also get a scent when someone who has passed over is trying to contact you: like catching a whiff of your grandmother’s perfume or your favorite uncle’s cigar.
Clairgustance (clear tasting)
This means that you will develop different tastes in your mouth for different situations. Perhaps a sweet taste when something is going to be a nice experience and an unpleasant taste when it will be a challenging situation. Eventually you can sort out the different tastes into a language of sorts that can help you.

Each person usually has one “Clair” that is more dominant, or the primary method of receiving intuitive messages. And, yes, all of the “Clairs” can be developed with practice.

“You must train your intuition. You must trust the small voice inside which tells you exactly what to say, what to decide.”~ Ingrid Bergman

Determining Your Clairs…

The ways you receive your intuitive messages

1) Which Clair do you feel is your primary channel for receiving information?

2) Which Clair do you feel is your secondary method of receiving your intuitive messages?

Now, let's put a number next to each of the 6 Clairs listed below in the order that you feel you receive your messages.

If you don’t feel you use some of the Clairs yet, that’s fine. This is to help you be clearer on the natural (and easiest!) way to work with your intuition.

You can always add in other ways as you improve your current intuitive communication channels.

____ Clairvoyance (clear vision/seeing/prophetic dreaming)

____ Clairsentience (clear feeling/touching/sensing)

____ Clairaudience (clear hearing/listening)

____ Claircognizance (clear knowing)

____ Clairalience (clear smelling)

____ Clairgustance (clear tasting)

“Cease trying to work everything out with your minds. It will get you nowhere. Live by intuition and inspiration and let your whole life be Revelation.”~ Eileen Caddy (Findhorn community co-founder)

Is it Intuition or my Mind?

The next skill to develop is discerning the difference between your intuition and your own mind chatter and thoughts.

True Intuitive messages feel lighter and guide you toward your highest potential.

They are often brief and quiet, almost a whisper, and pop in fast.
They may be gentle nudges.
They are positive and supportive of you and don’t use judgmental, harsh, or nasty words.

Learn to listen to your intuition for answers, guidance, and clarity. It’s fine to ask that you be given your message multiple times and in multiple ways to be sure you get it!

On the other hand, messages from your mind will feel stronger and sometimes intense.

These may be negative and may use harsh words.
They may seem familiar because they are part of a belief system or story you keep telling yourself. (and you believe it is true, but it probably isn’t)
Some messages your mind gives you might belittle you, contain judgments, add to your confusion and fear, or keep you stuck.
Messages from your mind often want to keep you safe and stuck in your comfort zone, even if it isn’t a really good or comfortable place to be. At least you know what to expect.

Ideally, working with both your logical mind and your intuition is what will often yield the best results. And learning to trust yourself and your intuitive guidance and your gut feelings!

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."~ Albert Einstein

Some Tools to Work with to Develop Your Intuitive Gifts

ORACLE CARDS:

Reading cards, such as Tarot, playing cards, Angel cards, Animal cards, and other oracle cards, is an ancient form of divination, and a way to get clearer messages from Spirit and your intuition.

TELEPATHY:

Thought communication between people and other beings (animals and plants as well as spirit beings). You can tune into the thoughts, feelings, desires, and awareness of another person. You can learn to send and receive messages this way.

PSYCHOMETRY:

Reading the energetic imprint left on an object such as a bracelet, ring, keys, or photograph. You can perceive impressions from the object when touching or holding it. You interpret the signals into information you can understand. Sometimes you can read the energy of a place by standing on the ground or by being close to a house, for instance. You can even read the energy off of pictures (more on that below). You can further develop this gift by exchanging objects with someone else and doing your own “reading.”

READING PICTURES:

This is a form of psychometry mixed with some mediumistic ability. Trace amounts of the energy of the person, animal, or even a place are captured in photos. You can sense or perceive information about the person, animal, or place in the photo. You can even sense if they have crossed over or are still alive.

INTUITIVE/AUTOMATIC WRITING:

This is another way to receive messages from your higher self, spirit guides, angels, and other beings that have crossed over. After protecting yourself, you connect with your Soul or loved one and allow the information to flow through your hand, and then write down the message as it flows to you, without looking at what you are writing. This is a powerful soul/spirit communication tool. It seems to work best with pen or pencil and paper rather than typing on a computer. The technology may get in the way of the energy flowing. For some people, writing with their non-dominant hand enhances the flow of automatic writing.

MEDIUMSHIP:

This is the ability to communicate with the deceased and others in spirit form. Everyone has the ability to communicate with loved ones who have passed on. By developing this further, you can communicate with the spirit realm. Sometimes you may see, or sense another being, sometimes you may hear them, or just know they are there. Using scent and playing with electronics is often a way those on the other side get our attention.

REMOTE VIEWING:

Mentally projecting your awareness to another person or a distant location and observing with your inner eye (third eye/intuition) what is taking place there, what the person is doing and/or details of the location. This technique has been used by both the U.S. and Russia during the Cold War.

ENERGY HEALING:

This used to be referred to as “laying on of hands.” Now, there are many forms of energy work being done. The common denominator is that they are, at their core, all channeling the same energy of the Divine or Source. One of the most popular forms of energy healing work is Reiki. Energy healing can be done in person or remotely. Some people are gifted as medical intuitives. Everyone can learn to sense the energy all around you and every living thing. You may even be able to see the aura or life force energy surrounding others.