About 20 years ago, I started receiving spontaneous spirit communication, and this led me to develop my mediumship abilities further. For many years I worked successfully as a medium, and then I started to get burned out from the high demand for my services. It was harder and harder for me to find the will and energy to do this sort of work, and I noticed that my readings weren't as amazing and powerful as they used to be, so I took a break and developed web sites for a while. Now that I'm feeling recharged and ready to dig into reading work again, I find that the messages I'm getting just aren't clicking the way they used to. People aren't recognizing the evidential information I bring through, and this is starting to shake my trust in my gift and my connection to my guides. At the same time, I'm wondering if I'm blocking myself because when I make myself available, I quickly get overwhelmed by all the requests I receive for help, guidance, readings, etc. Do you think I'm trying to make myself less connected and successful to minimize the demands on my time and energy? Am I perhaps not meant to pick this up again?
E.
Astrea:
There are as many reasons for psychic burnout as there are psychics. How awful to try to keep working under that cloud; spirit communication is difficult enough without all this extra stress and pressure.
This is a sensitive area, and people who wish to talk to departed loved ones can be some of the most intense clientele, so sometimes mediums have to take a break to retain their gift.
Not only are your clients used to you being available, the spirits you speak with are too, and they're going to try to come through you no matter what YOU may want. That can by tiring and draining in and of itself, without the extra stress of others wanting you to talk to their loved ones in Spirit for them.
Whether they're living or departed, no one who is asking you to communicate for them realizes all that goes into it. It's beyond their understanding, so they keep on demanding.
This kind of ability doesn't really come and go. It's always there, but when we're tired (or simply tired of dealing with people), it becomes much more difficult to do.
You are of course the best judge of when you're ready to do any kind of psychic work, but it can be hard to get enough distance to sort that out. Do you have any kind of support group of other people doing spirit communication work?
Bouncing your feelings and ideas around with even one other person might help more than you think, for someone outside of what you're doing might be able to see things you can't.
Audition your spouse or best friend for the role of judge, and tell them what you feel in the moment you're trying to connect. The people closest to you will be able to pick up subtle changes in your mind and energy, and whether they're psychically sensitive or not, they may be able to pinpoint whatever you're missing that you need to get back on your path.
Sometimes it's better to take another break than to try to force yourself to work. It's not that you're not meant to be doing this work; you're still tired and burned out, that's all.
Talk about your feelings. Take another 90 days to rekindle your energy, and do what you know how to do to block spirits from coming through during that time. Then try again to go back to work.
If you still feel drained, then take another 90 days. If after six months you still aren't able to have the kind of concentration you need, it's time to reconsider this work altogether. Most of us who are mediums also have other psychic gifts that we can employ to give other types of readings, so explore your options and make the most of your talents and skills.
*****
Susyn:
I can understand the frustration you're experiencing with trying to reconnect with your psychic gifts. We often go through down cycles and have to stop our work in order to regroup, recharge, and revise our focus.
Because the different types of metaphysical work we do can be draining, it's essential that we learn to put boundaries around our work, time and efforts. If you think of the cycle you've just been through as a pendulum (first too much work, swinging back to no work at all) you'll see that we can move back and forth to extremes.
As we continue to swing back and forth between these extremes, they carry less and less momentum, and eventually, we find good inner balance again.
Many of us in this field tend to forget how much effort and energy it takes to provide these gifts and services for others. It's actually very common to suffer this type of burnout and to feel overwhelmed by the demands of this sort of work.
My friends have heard me say more than once, Maybe I should give this up and flip burgers for a living!
However, we both know that our purpose is so much greater than that. In fact, if we try to hide or limit our gifts, it can result in depression and even physical illness. Once we've opened this door, all we can do is walk through it.
The fact that you're having trouble clicking with your clients simply means you're still in the process of recharging your gifts. Like exercise, the more you do it, the stronger and more proficient you'll become at it. You needn't give up the work you love; you just need to find a way to balance your work so that it inspires you instead of draining you.
I had a similar experience fifteen years ago when I began channeling a spirit, and without understanding what was happening, had a negative experience that caused me to stop altogether. Within two months I found myself in bed with a serious illness. Over the next two years, I quit all my metaphysical practices: astrology, tarot, even meditation.
When I finally embraced my gifts again, the illness dissipated and slowly I returned to my psychic work. What I noticed during that time is the emphasis of my work changed, and I began to focus on different areas that needed more development.
For example, I took up more writing, as that made it easier to reach many people at once, and I also started teaching and tutoring more. Maybe something similar is happening for you.
I encourage you to continue reclaiming your gifts and your work, and to consider new avenues that will refresh you and inspire fresh passion for your calling. I'm sure that this bump in the road will ultimately carry your work to an even higher form, purpose and power.
Astrea:
Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.
Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!
While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!
I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!
As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.
I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.
You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!
Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.
A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.
You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.