Are you typical of your star sign? If so, how?
I'm a Cancer Sun, with Virgo Rising and a Scorpio Moon, which is the strongest placement in my chart by far. I'm in my 60s now, and I feel that all of my "big three" work together reasonably harmoniously most of the time. I'm nurturing and sometimes moody, just like a Cancerian; I'm fortunate to have the forensic mind of the Virgo; my emotions run deep (and sometimes dark!), just like my Scorp Moon Kinfolk.
How long have you been giving readings for?
The first reading I gave for a stranger was in 1979, although I'd been reading for friends and family for a couple of years before then.
What advice would you give to those customers contemplating their first reading?
Be open to whatever comes through for you. Sometimes the Universe will want to dive straight in, and answer the "unasked" question - the question behind the question you've actually asked. In my experience it will, eventually, "get down to business" and deliver something specific, but the danger is that, by that time, we've stopped truly hearing what's being said and have prejudged the reader as "not a good fit" for us.
What spiritual skills do you have?
I'm an empath: ever since early childhood, I've been able to feel other people's feelings and pain, both emotional and physical. (Growing up in the 1960s, with "no nonsense" parents, this was far more of a curse than it was a blessing!) I'm clairsentient and claircognisant (I feel things and I "know" things), and I have elements of clairaudience, in the realm that's sometimes referred to as "shuffleology": a song or lyric will pop into my head during a reading and - if I mention it to my client - it'll usually turn out to be relevant to them. (When it doesn't, it's usually because it's from years before they were born!) I've been reluctant to claim psychic abilities, although I've often been described as such...maybe it's time for me to claim this skill too...
What do you do for fun outside of psychic readings?
I'm a musician: I play folk and country fiddle in a couple of bands. I'm actually classically trained, and have been performing since I was a teenager. Tarot and music - both the practical and the more esoteric sides of each - are my passions in this lifetime...they don't leave room for much else! However, allied to my core passions, I'm fascinated by folklore and customs; religion and spirituality; media and sociological trends. I write both prose and poetry (mainly for my own enjoyment), and have been known to doodle, draw, and paint (oils and acrylics).
What tools do you use within your readings?
The main tools I use are tarot cards and my Spirit Guides - whom I refer to as my "Management Team". Increasingly, I find myself channeling - not a specific person or entity, but more of a direct link with Spirit. Messages often come to me in the form of metaphor and analogy and, although these can seem, at first, to be quite "rambling", they invariably get the point across!
What prompted you to start giving readings?
As I began to develop my abilities, I realised that I could be of service to other people, and this was such an inspiration that it gave me the motivation (although I still considered myself to be painfully shy at the time) to begin to "put it out there".
What’s your most memorable psychic experience?
I still find this difficult to talk about... In the mid-1990s, I was working at my day job (as a freelance legal researcher), and listening to BBC Radio 4. An item on the 3 o'clock news said that the body of Thomas Ferguson (not his real name) had been found on the beach at (the name of a local seaside town). At the time I used to subcontract some of my research work to a friend of a friend, who had the same name. I thought "well, that can't be 'my' Tom Ferguson - I'd have heard about it from our mutual friend". Nevertheless, I thought it very strange that the Police had released a name. I went back to work... The following day, I had a phone call from our mutual friend: "Have you heard about Tom? He didn't come home from work yesterday, and his wife called the Police at 6 p.m. They found his body on the beach at (local seaside town). they reckon he's been dead for about 3 hours"... I'm still somewhat haunted by the experience, and wonder if I could have affected the outcome by taking prompt action. I don't ignore my psychic "leadings" any more.
When did you discover your gifts?
From toddlerhood I knew I was "strange" (my down-to-earth parents left me in no doubt about this!). My gifts have crystallised, and made themselves known to me over the years, and I've gradually learned how they fit into the rich landscape of spiritual abilities. I'm still learning!
Why should a client choose you for their psychic reading?
I'm honest and compassionate: I'm blessed to be able to deliver the Universe's messages with humour and unconditional love. I've seen - and experienced - my fair share of darkness this time around, and it doesn't scare me. This means that I'm able to help you navigate through any darkness you're experiencing, and to find a way forward - there's always a way forward. I'm non-judgemental, and (as a trained Life Coach) skilled at using clean (non-nuanced) language. I'm strongly focused on finding solutions, on helping you to find your best way through the maze in which you find yourself. I tend to work in analogy and metaphor but, if you would prefer one-word answers, you only have to ask. I'm committed to being of service to you, and to helping you to find the solutions you prefer, whatever your present situation.