Do you consider yourself "just" an empath? Do you feel highly intuitive, but just not quite psychic? Or do you feel like you have a few psychic skills, but they are not as strong as you wish they were when you compare yourself to others?

This post is about the journey of acceptance that I have gone on, and how through recognizing my (seemingly lesser) gifts, my psychic abilities have actually grown stronger, along with my self-confidence. I also include some handy tips for learning how to trust and grow your own psychic gifts.

I have a friend I'll call Mary, who has seen ghosts since she was a young child, as well as her spirit guides too. They have been ever-present in her life, a source of fear, strength, comfort and direction. With a gift (and challenge) like that, there is little room for doubt about your psychic abilities. For a long time I thought that kind of thing was what "qualified" you as psychic, and since my experience wasn't so dramatic or concrete, I dismissed and minimized any gifts I had, or viewed them as lesser.

I've always been very intuitive and empathic and had many deep spiritual and mystical experiences, but I never considered myself "officially" psychic. It is only in recent years that this gift has begun to blossom into contacting spirits, and while this kind of experience has become more common for me, it still takes me by surprise.

Over time I have learned just how unique people's abilities and experiences of contacting spirit can be, and as I get better at accepting and trusting my gifts, they are developing and growing in strength.

A Visit from Grandpa

It was peaceful Saturday afternoon, a couple of weeks before Christmas at my beau Stephen's place. We were listening to music, preparing for the holidays. I was wrapping presents in the living room, and he was in the bedroom working on the desk and hutch his grandfather made so that we could hang a curtain on it.

I heard a man distinctly call my name, and I figured it was Stephen, but the music was loud so it was a little hard to tell. I called out to him, asking if he called me. He said he didn't. I knew I clearly heard my name, and it was a man's voice, but it was just the two of us home. Then I realized that the voice came from the opposite direction of where Stephen was working. He came out of the bedroom and looked at me, and then the word "grandfather" came into my mind. It was less distinct than when I heard my name, more of a sense impression, but also different from my usual thoughts. I told Stephen that I sensed "grandfather", and he raised his eyebrows, smirked, and pointed to the bedroom. Of course, he was working on his grandfather's furniture! I hadn't made the connection.

I mindfully tuned in to the present moment, and suddenly got physically overwhelmed with energy, like tingles from my toes to my head, and I was filled with love. I immediately told Stephen the sense-message I was given: "Your grandfather loves you very much, and he wants you to know that". I was actually brought to tears by the force of the energy and emotion washing over me. Stephen said "I can feel it". It was just such a lovely moment, and that contact with his grandfather was the support Stephen really needed at the time.

A few years ago, I would have certainly dismissed the voice I heard as nothing, called it my imagination, and kept wrapping presents, but by that point, I had experienced enough to trust in my gifts. How many opportunities for connection might you let slip away due to minimizing or self-doubt?

Getting Validation

One of the most transformative experiences in understanding and valuing my own gifts was at a spiritual gathering that I attended. I have had many such experiences since then, and the more I have begun to trust my impressions, the more my gifts have blossomed.

I heard of an upcoming spiritual event, and I felt strongly intuitively compelled to go, although I knew very little about it at the time. It was held by people involved in the voodoo / hoodoo path, one that I didn't really relate to personally or know anything about at the time, but despite that, I felt a very strong and insistent call to attend.

I went with Mary. When I got there, I felt so at home, like I had finally found my true tribe. People like me, from many spiritual paths, but all magickally gifted in some way, all serious about the work. We set up our tents, and then the rain came. Cold, driving, unrelenting rain that went on for the whole weekend. But the weather didn't matter. No one complained - we all adapted, piled on the clothes, sheltered under tents, and got to work.