By Peggy River Singer
January is a month when I do a lot of thinking about my life, as I add another knot to my string of years. It's taken me 65 of those years to figure out, step by step, who I am and what I'm capable of, and what I'm here to accomplish.
Like me, many of you have experienced what it's like to be different. Maybe you're psychic, or an Indigo; one of the many "clairs" such as clairtactile or clairsentient, a telepath, an empath; or you have what the Irish call Second Sight. Maybe you never talk about your special abilities, or you hide what you can do, because you're afraid of what people will think if they find out you're "not normal." But of course, these abilities are perfectly normal for humans; they've just been distrusted and demonized for a very long time.
The Patterns of History
Throughout history, members of tribal and traditional cultures who have special gifts have been trained to serve as priests, shamans, healers, seers, or herbalists. And throughout history, when governments or religious institutions decide that traditional beliefs and suspicious abilities are unacceptable or even criminal, practitioners and their followers face a discouraging array of options. Forced conversion, faux conversion (while hiding one's true beliefs and skills), banishment, and voluntarily moving to remote locations beyond the reach of the authorities mean major upheavals; but all are preferable to persecution or worse. It's no surprise that many people -- past and present -- choose to go into hiding, one way or another.
Evolution of an Inspired Soul
During my first fifty years or so, I never had any dramatic special abilities that I might have wanted to conceal. But I've always had symptoms that have complicated getting through each day:
· Very sensitive to light, noise, temperature, energy
· Absorbed other people's emotions without realizing it
· Preferred the company of animals, who were so much easier to understand than humans
· Spent most of my time out of body, because real life was too difficult and confusing
· Difficulty reading social cues and body language of others
These symptoms felt more like burdens than indications of gifts, and they added up to life as a perpetual outsider, unable to understand why I never fit in anywhere.
Today, special abilities are becoming more acceptable, and symptoms like those in my own list are more likely to be recognized. Millions of people who have grown up with TV shows like Lost in Space, Star Trek, and Star Wars are more inclined to be open-minded about possibilities that previous generations would have found difficult to understand. A sci-fi fan from childhood, I've never had any problem believing that just about everything is possible. But it's only in the last fifteen years that this concept has begun to describe my own life.
In 2005, I stepped into a whole new world by calling Betsy Adams, an animal communicator, to find out whether my very sick cat was ready to depart. I began taking classes with Betsy, and one thing led to another: my new interests included studying empathy, telepathy, guardian angels, nature spirits, crystals, power animals, oracle cards, pendulums, gods and goddesses, shamanism, Reiki, and the list keeps getting longer. Who knows what I'll be inspired to do next?
Meanwhile, I now consider myself an observer instead of an outsider; and I've come to appreciate the insights and understanding of human nature that I've collected while the rest of the world has gone about its business around me. Oddly enough, this has proved to be great preparation for being a writer!
What About Your Own Gifts?
I opened this article talking about finally recognizing and celebrating my gifts after a lifetime of preparation. If you think (or know) that you have special abilities, I encourage you with all my heart to explore those abilities and make the most of them. They truly can be gifts, waiting to be opened; and Washtenaw County abounds with people who can help you find your way. A good place to start would be the Crazy Wisdom Community Journal, which is packed with resources for just about any skill, craft, talent or ability you wish to know more about. Personal growth and empowerment are only two of the rewards you can look forward to.
Happy learning, and happy BECOMING!
Peggy River Singer is a heart-centered psychic medium and channel, animal communicator, faerie ally and Reiki practitioner who combines her gift for communications with her psychic abilities to help create harmonious relationships among all who share this world. She can be reached by phone at 734-548-0194; and by email at newbluecanoe.com. Her experiences and insights are shared on her blog, angelsfairiesandlife.wordpress.com.
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