33. Psychic readings demystified: how they work for me and you

Psychic readings: woo-oooo woo-ooo.  Just kidding.  On this episode I am demystifying the ancient practice of going to see an oracle.  Even though some people are scared of it (including my mom! and I’ll tell you that story too!).  I’ll tell you what doing readings looks and feels like from my end.  How it works, what you can expect if you have one from me, what others have said to me, and my favorite kind of readings.  This episode kicks off my demystifying psychic readings series—in the next few episodes you’ll get to hear from some of my long-time clients themselves!  So stay tuned!  

Show Notes

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Past Life Psychic Ainslie MacLeod

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Transcript

Psychic readings: woo-oooo woo-ooo.  Just kidding.  On this episode I am demystifying the ancient practice of going to see an oracle.  Even though some people are scared of it (including my mom! and I’ll tell you that story too!).  I’ll tell you what doing readings looks and feels like from my end.  How it works, what you can expect if you have one from me, what others have said to me, and my favorite kind of readings, today.  This episode kicks off my demystifying psychic readings series—in the next few episodes you’ll get to hear from some of my long-time clients themselves!  So stay tuned!  

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MUSIC  **Ayla Nereo, "All of this" song clip**

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Do you crave clarity and insight?  Do you sense that your intuition is trying to tell you important things, but you have a hard time trusting it?  Do you want access to your own internal  wisdom, and to understand how it operates so that you can guide your life in ways that are meaningful and satisfying?  

 Well then, welcome, I’m glad you are here.

 I’m your host, Aimée Cartier.  I’ve been a professional psychic, since around 2007.   I’m the author of the book, “Getting Answers: Using Your Intuition to Discover Your Best Life.”  I’ve been teaching others to understand and use their own intuitive and empathic abilities for more than a decade.  

 Join me each week for true stories and tools that will inspire you to take seriously, your own inner knowing—that internal sense that you have uniquely tailored to YOU and designed to not only set you on the roads that are best for you but also help you avoid the ones that are treacherous. 

 It’s time for you to OWN YOUR INTUITION.

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Hi, Welcome.  

 Did you know that you can download the first part of my book, Getting Answers: Using Your Intuition to Discover Your Best Life, for free.  So if you’re curious about it, but want to wade in before you commit—get thee to my website, AimeeCartier.com and download it!

 I’ve also got a free download about how to tell the difference between your intuition and the voice of your fear.  Again—AimeeCartier.com, friends.

 The word psychic and or the idea of a psychic reading can in some, incite all kinds of fear.  Just the word: psychic!

 I was on the verge of starting my psychic reading practice, when my mom who in my adult life had become very religious, sent me an email about how psychics were evil.

 Around that time, I had mentioned to my mother that I was taking a course called, True Balance, from a psychic who I consider now one of my mentors, Sonia Choquette.  She is the same woman who gave me the metaphorical kick in the pants I needed to get on MY ROAD.  (I talk about this in episode 2, if you are interested in that story.). The class I was taking wasn’t even on psychic ability (haha!)—it was on chakras.  The tag line for her book of the same name is “A common sense approach to renewing your Spirit.”  I promise you there was zero scary things about it!  In any case, when I mentioned that I was taking a course by a psychic to my mom, she followed up later with an email— detailing how (in her opinion, and her new vigorous religion) psychics were evil.  

 What my mom didn’t know at the time, but I did, was that I was about to start my own practice doing readings!  

 As you can imagine, when I got the email I was, scratching my head with thoughts of, “What the heck do I do with this!?”  That’s being very diplomatic.  I’ll be honest, it also made me mad.  

 If you are just joining us, this is Aimée Cartier and you are listening to the Own Your Intuition show.  I’m a professional psychic!  And today we’re talking about demystifying psychic readings.  I’m getting there, by way of a story or two, like I always do.  

 Okay, so cut to a different moment in time around that same time period of the email from my mom.

 Right around the time I started doing readings professionally, in 2007, I was at a local coffee shop on the island I live when I saw a poster hanging on the window indicating that later that day a man named, Ainslie MacLeod, was having a book release party.  He too was a psychic.  In a flash of knowing that feels shinier to describe than to feel, I knew I needed to go.  It wasn’t a spectacular sign hanging from the sky, “Go to Ainslie’s event!” with firecrackers and big band music behind it.  It felt more like a knowing that I would be there.  That I belonged there in some way (even though I hardly knew Ainslie at the time).  Even though my status as a psychic was still more of a secret at that time, I knew that’s what I was.  For years, my friends had come to me asking things, or just talking about their lives and I would see things unfold in my mind—the trajectory of their lives, or vibes that would continue to play out.  But I hadn’t put up a shingle with the word “psychic” and my name under it.  I knew I was headed that way; I had been getting the nudge internally and externally.  

 One of my mentors, Sonia, had already asked me, “Why aren’t you doing readings?”  But I simply hadn’t done anything about it.  You know, it’s no small thing to put that word next to your name.  To announce to all, “Hey everyone! I’m a psychic.  Want to know something about your life?  Come on over—I’ll look into it for you.” 

 But that day, going to Ainslie’s event felt important somehow—like supporting a colleague—even if I was the only one there that yet knew we were similar in that way.  The event was close to my house, I think I walked there.  But for some reason I left my wallet at home.  I didn’t bring a thing actually—just myself.  I knew I could get the book anytime—and I didn’t want to walk home carrying it that night, so I left the house without my purse.  So later when I found out there was a raffle to win a reading from Ainslie I was bummed.   That sounded fun.  When the man asked me if I wanted to enter the raffle I told him I didn’t have any cash on me.  

 Then, the most astounding thing happened.  This man I did not know, handed me a five-dollar bill to enter!  

 Of course, I was like, “Oh my gosh are you sure?  I live just down the road I might be able to make it home.”  He was like, “Don’t worry about it.  Enter the raffle.  I’m here all the time—if you want to pay me back you can drop it off here for me anytime.”  (Which clearly I did later.)

 Guess who won the raffle on a $5 bill that a stranger loaned her?

 You got it, yours truly! 

 So when I got there that day, to meet Ainslie for our reading.  As I sat down on his couch, I was like, “I’m here to talk about my mom!” 

 You already know why!

 Ainslie said several things to me that were helpful to me that day—including an explanation, based on soul ages—which is something that Ainslie does (determine your soul age)—that helped me understand my mother.  It has also come in handy many times since!

 Obviously, I didn’t let my mother’s beliefs stop me from being who I am—and being out loud about it—as you can tell!  I could see pretty clearly, especially after my reading with Ainslie that this is something she might never understand—and that’s okay.  I’ve been doing psychic readings ever since—and years later I also teach others how to understand their own intuitive senses i.e. psychic senses— which I think of as your soul’s compass—not evil at all!

 Nonetheless, it’s a good story because the word, “psychic” ACTIVATES people!  Even my own mother!  And, as you can tell from my story about winning a reading with Ainslie, psychic readings are very useful!  

 So… let’s get down to it, this idea and the process of psychic readings.  Over the years I have heard many times from first time clients that they feel nervous or scared before they start.  These are really just from my first time clients, because after that they know.  I can tell you that feeling soon dissipates and I can even tell you why (and I will in a moment)—but that is something people experience from time to time so I thought it might be useful to do a series on Demystifying the psychic reading experience! 

 Today is the first of those episodes—the one where you get to hear from me—about what it is like, what you can expect, how it works for me, AND THEN, in the next couple of episodes you’ll get to hear from some of my long-time clients.  You’ll get to hear from them about what it is like from their perspective—and why they keep coming back to me year after year.  

 This is Aimée Cartier and you are listening to the Own Your Intuition show where we are about to talk about what it is like to get a psychic reading from me.

 Why do people come to me?  Why do they jump on my website to get on my calendar?

 Most frequently, they are at a crossroads— they have some choices to make but they may feel confused, or they need clarity, insight, or direction.  As you’ll hear my long-time client David Harshada Wagner say in an upcoming episode— “I call you when I can’t see over the fence—when I feel like I’m missing something or something is not adding up.”  For one reason or another, they are not certain which way is best, or what do to in a situation.  And they, don’t want to go just any way—they want to know the way, the decision, the trajectory, that is in the Highest Good for them and others.  They want to know which decision is going to amplify or bring the most joy and satisfaction to their soul and lives.  And, for one reason or another, they just can’t tell.

 Like when I won that reading with Ainslie all those years ago—I was like, “waa waa” what the heck do I do with this!  I’m about to launch my psychic reading practice and my mom sends me an email saying, “Psychics are evil!”  What the…!? 

 Ainslie shed some light.  He showed me the scope.  He showed me the set up that allowed me to understand the scene, and scenes that followed.  He gifted me the big picture that helped me understand the momentary nuance. 

 That’s also what I do.

 Okay, so while we are on the subject of others— something to know about readings with me.  I do not look into other people’s business if they are not on the phone with me.  Because they have not asked me to do so.  So, I won’t go prying into another person’s feelings… There are very few exceptions to this—and frankly the only one I can think of is parents and their growing children—the ones they are still responsible for raising.  In most cases, when a client, let’s say you, ask me about a situation regarding another person, I focus and I look for your action point— is there something that you can do?  What do you need to know that serves the Highest Good for you and all right now?  Sometimes, info does come through about where the other person is at—and something important you need to understand about that— but I don’t specifically look for it.  It’s subtle, but it makes a difference to me.  I look at it from the point of view of, “What does the Highest Good need you to know right now about this situation or person.”  Not—“Let me look and see­– what are they feeling!?  Thinking?”  

 Okay, that leads me easily to the reason that people don’t actually feel scared when they are on the phone with me or afterward.  The reason that it’s actually giggle worthy that a person might feel this way before hand is that I start EVERY READING by asking that whatever be revealed be in my client’s Highest Good to know.  I actually say those words out loud at the start of every reading.  It’s a part of (and the meditation I do prior to my first client of the day) how I tune my radar.  Just like you, just like I teach you how to do in my Getting Answers book, or if you are a student of mine, I am not interested in just any information about the situation.  As a messenger, for my client, I am only interested in receiving information if it is in their highest and best interest to know right now.  Because I set my radar to only receive information that is in my client’s Highest Good to know—I trust whatever comes through serves the Highest.

 And I can tell you overwhelmingly—like I literally can’t think of an exception in the many years (16 about) that I’ve been doing readings—people feel uplifted, better, more at ease after they have a reading with me.  

 I oftentimes jot down things people say to me at the end of a reading.  I usually just do it on whatever piece of paper—not every time—but when people say things that strike me or are interesting to me—I just literally pick up a pen and jot it down.  So I have a folder of these notes.

 And these are some of the quotes I have written in there.

 “I feel like a dark cloud lifted after I spoke with you.”

 “My heart just feels lighter.”

 “I am so grateful.  You have given me so much comfort and ease— you made the situation feel so much less of defeating cluster- f@!”

 "You have such a unique way of turning everyday woes and discouragements into blissful enactments of Spirit.”

 “You always set me straight by telling me exactly like it is and sharing different techniques and practices that I can use to help myself move through the less than lovely moments.  Thank you!” 

 “I’ve been floundering to have a clear goal in mind and clarity around that.  I can’t even tell you how helpful this reading was to me.”

 “Thank you again for our session this weekend.  Both times I have talked with you, I’ve felt more deeply connected to the goodness of Life and it’s had a profound shift on me.  Thank you!”

 Those are just some from my collection over the years.  And, the next couple of episodes, you’ll hear from real-live people who have had many readings with me over the years.  Not just from the pile of random pieces of paper on which I have jotted their words through the time!

 This is Aimée Cartier, you are listening to the Own Your Intuition show and today we are demystifying the psychic reading experience!

 So I told you I start by making clear that I’m only open to guidance that serves my client’s Highest Good … I also usually say something like, “I get a lot of information from my guides.  My peeps, talk to your peeps, so this is your chance to get information from the benevolent beings that are helping to guide you.  So you want to ask whatever you need to know.”  

 I say that exactly!  You know, I’ve been doing this so long—I have the same things I say each time.  I also usually warn my clients that if I need to interrupt them to get them information I will do so.  At the beginning of the reading, I always ask my client to give me their subjects in bullet points—so that I know the range of the topics we are going to cover in this time period.  So they’ll be like, “career, relationship, housing,” or whatever.  Once I have the scope, we dig into the details.

 My clients choose the length of time.  I do 30, 45 mintue or hour long readings.  I find that 99% of the time whatever length of time they had in mind—whatever their instincts told them—is perfect.  Once in a while a client will ask me what length of time they should choose—to which I always reply, “You know what you need to ask.  Go with your instincts, on timing.”

 So, I said I would tell you about my favorite kind of readings.

 My favorite kind of readings are the ones that confirm.  Where my client says, “Okay, yes, that’s what I thought.  That’s what I was feeling.  That’s where I am already heading.”  I LOVE those because to me it means that YOU are already getting the messages!  There’s nothing more brilliant than that!  I get it that it is often very useful to have another person confirm out loud things that you know inside.  Ainslie’s reading did that for me on several fronts all those many years ago!  I remember saying, “Thank you for saying that out loud!?  That is so helpful to me!”  

 You know, I teach through this podcast, books, and my programs that you’ve got it all inside!  So when a client says to me—“Okay, this confirms something for me.”  I am like—party horn! (Make sound!) Breeeee!  Woop woop!  “See, you KNEW!”  I usually don’t actually do all those sounds!  But I do point it out— “Excellent, you are getting the messages!  You see how you already knew!?”  Because I think that’s important.  You guys know that because of all the stuff I do already.

 Okay, Ainslie said several things to me that day that have still been useful even YEARS later.  And I hear that from my clients as well, who stay in touch.  In fact, you’ll hear some of those stories in upcoming episodes!

 Sometimes, the very brave, ask me what it is like for me to do the readings.  I am reminded of a conversation I had many years ago with my friend Martha and my friend Abby’s dad.  We were sitting down to dinner.  He found out what I do—and with a beautifully curious mind for a man who I think was already in his 80’s at the time he asked me— “So how does it work?  What is it like?  How do you get information?”  

 So— I’m going to answer his questions now, (thank you Yale!), in case you too are wondering.

 I’ve said, I set my radar.  When a person is asking me questions or talking to me the information comes through in all different ways—sometimes I see things in my mind, that helps me describe something to my client.  Sometimes it is specific to the questions they are asking—like for example, they may be asking about location and I see a beach or something that makes me understand what the best location looks and feels like.  It honestly can be anything.  Any image. 

 Often I will see images that are metaphors for what is happening— like a river or something, that shows me the energy of the situation.  A recent one that comes to mind was a twig floating down the river.  I could see that my client was already headed in this direction, (she was the twig in this case) but I could also tell that some of the occurrences of her life that we were speaking of (in my mind they appeared like brush piles on the side of the river).  These events/occurrences had also made the road/ the journey faster—like it had sped up or shaped the trajectory in important ways and were still influencing her.

 Those are just some examples.  One of my favorites was a reading I did where the person was getting ahead of themselves in terms of what they were trying to figure out.  My guides showed me her as a singer in a nightclub.  The question was about singing in a stadium.  She wasn’t really a singer you guys— this was metaphor.  But they were telling her— you can’t plan for the stadium now!  You’re in the night club!  BE in the night club—that experience leads to the next.  I LOVED this metaphor which is perhaps why it still sticks out to me.  In some ways—it’s universal good advice!  Do the step!  BE where you ARE.  It leads you DOWN the road!  

 Sometimes I hear things—like specifically sometimes when a beloved departed comes through for my client (just as a side note—mediumship is not the main focus of my practice— so I usually recommend that people don’t come to me specifically for that only— but occasionally they do pop in).  Sometimes when they do, they have specific words!  My most memorable to date was a client of mine whose deceased sister popped in and she said “Take it by the balls!”  I was laughing in relaying that message because that is something I would NEVER say to a client—or probably even a friend for that matter!  But my client was like, “Oh my god, that’s SOOOO my sister!”  

 Or specific phrasing will come to me to explain the situation.  Obviously, I trust whatever comes through—and often the specific wording turns out to be meaningful to my client for one reason or another.  Or for whatever reason that perspective or description hits home for them.

 Sometimes I just feel things.  Like the emotion of it, or the person, will wash through.  Then I am able to describe what is happening, the way forward and/or the antidote—or the way to arrive where they are going which can be very different than the place they are sitting in right now (energetically or emotionally, for example)

 Another random thing that happens is the guides frequently give me what a friend of mine years ago dubbed, “truth chills.”   So chills will literally prickle my skin—goosebumps, we call them in MN where I grew up.  Like someone blowing on your neck or something.  This happens, these truth chills, when it is something very important for my client to know, or something that their guides have been trying to convey for a long time.  It helps me underscore for my client the importance of something—an understanding, an action whatever, it depends.  Sometimes I feel it as a “thank you!” for getting the message through from the benevolent ethereals that are helping or have my clients best interest in mind.

 All of this happens very quickly—I simply describe it as it comes, as we are talking.  It feels VERY natural to me—like breathing.  There is nothing weird, or scary about it.  The images, words, feelings, or whatever appear and I describe them as a direct response to what my client is asking about.

 Very normal! As it were!

 I have a hearty suspicion my friend Ainslie MacLeod would agree that it’s normal.  If feels normal when it is happening.  And by the way, as we close up here— I wanted to mention that Ainslie still does readings!  He specializes in past life readings— he’s not a “tell-me-about-the-possibilities-on-THIS-road-psychic,” like I am.  He’s a “Where have I been in terms of past lives! And how is that relevant to now.” And, since that time when I won the reading, he and I have many a time met—especially pre-COVID, for what we call, “psychic coffee!”  We need to start that back up Ainslie!  In any case, I’ll put a link to his website in the show notes, so you can check his work out if that calls.

 Okay, sooooo have these examples demystified the experience a bit?  Do you feel like you have a clearer picture of what it looks like?  I promise you it really doesn’t feel that scary or weird—when you are the recipient of the reading from me, or when you are the Seer, like I am.  And honestly, I think it’s just like everyone’s intuition works really.  I mean maybe you don’t have the ability to tune in specifically like this and get a pile of messages for the person asking or see out where they are going— but intuition, your intuition, does speak to you in completely normal ways all the time.  In a multitude of ways from feeling to images and everything in between.  Every soul has an internal compass, some call it your psychic senses (—the ones beyond the five usual ones of see, taste, smell, feel, hearing), your intuition, your wisest knowing, your inner GPS (as you heard Zen call it in episode # 28)— and no matter what you call it, this extra sense, it is NOT evil!  It’s useful!!!!! A thousand fold!

 Okay, until next time friends—when as I said, you’ll get to hear directly from some of my clients!  Stay tuned.  Sending big love!

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This is Aimée Cartier and you have been listening to the Own Your Intuition show.  

So, thank you for being here with me today.  I know you could be anywhere.  I hope it was useful!  Do you feel less afraid of this easy and natural thing!?  Of one person using their particular gifts on your behalf?  If you want to find out even more about what I do—you can do so on my website: www.AimeeCartier.com.

 And please, if you liked what you heard, I’d love to hear what moved you.  Send me a DM on Instagram @aimeecartier or an email through my website.  And if you could  take a moment to like the Own Your Intuition Show with Aimée Cartier where you get your podcasts.  AND share it with your friends.  Wooop wooooop! I’d be so grateful.  If you are like, I want to amp up or understand MY intuition, my psychic senses as it were— you can check out my Intuition University private program and download your application today.