I’d love to share a process with you that I created intuitively to bridge inner and outer experiences of life.

I call it, The Intuitive Garden. 🪴🌷🌱

It’s a conversation with your whole, wise self about something that matters to you.

Instead of trying to find the answers analytically or pushing yourself harder, it’s about letting your intuition and body guide you — in a playful way!

It’s a fun and imaginative way to discover truths about something in your life.

For example, six months ago, I asked my intuition about how my business was going.

Sure, I had some ideas about it, but I wanted my intuition to weigh in. 🤔

My business appeared as a pine tree in my front yard.

The ground around it was super muddy.

I saw how it was so small but taking up so much space.

Having my business that close to my home felt like it was too close to my personal life.

I felt physically uncomfortable.

I immediately understood that I’d placed it too close to my personal life, (I value good boundaries in life and work), giving it too much attention (it was over-watered), and letting daily physical tasks go (the laundry was building up!).

This wasn’t good for the “tree” of my business.

And it wasn’t good for me.

So, in my imagination, I asked the tree to move, and in my actual life, I began focusing more on daily living tasks.

A few months later I checked with my tree again.

It was in the backyard hidden behind other trees.

Now, no one could see it and it wasn’t getting enough sunlight.

My intuition dropped in with some of the answers:

My business was in hiding.

I was hiding it a bit.

I love what I do but I know it’s not mainstream and sometimes, I have to work with myself to be more open about it — regardless of what people think.

It’s so different from when I worked as a psychologist and people automatically understood and accepted it.

But, I’ve trained hard to be where I am and I love the shifts that are possible for other people. This work feels like a calling.

This inner vision was showing me that my business needed more focus and light — being out in the open.

So, intuitively, I moved the tree.

And, now, 2 months later, I see it’s on the side of my house by the street.

I can’t see it from the front door but I know it’s there.

I see it in my mind’s eye: It’s a Magnolia tree (I love Magnolia trees!) — and now it’s blooming!

Its roots are deep.

And, I intuitively see the neighbors coming to see it and water it too.

It’s not hidden; it’s out in the open.

The flowers make a mess when they die (I can see them clairvoyantly) but I love them and they smell great! And, it’s worth it.

This is always a balance for me: moving between the spiritual-intuitive and the physical and my tree was showing me that I need to be aware of this balance, checking in.

My business’ boundaries are clear (and, frankly, so is the laundry basket!).

And I feel grateful.

And, sharing this practice with you all is part of my business tree’s offerings. 🌸

Would you like to experience it?

You can read the guided imagery below or you can listen by audio.

Note: You don’t have to “see” anything.

Just let the answers come to you, through you.

This deepens trust in your own intuitive abilities.

You can also write or draw what you receive.

Bring a sense of wonder and have fun with this!

One of my intuitive teachers used to say: the more fun you have — the more you don’t take yourself so seriously, and the easier it is to receive your intuition.

The Intuitive Garden Practice 🌱🌷🌳

Begin by centering yourself in your heart.

Take a few slow breaths.

Breathe in connecting with your intuition.

Breathing out anything you don’t need or want right now.

Breathing in, connecting with your essence...

And breathing out anything that’s ready to go.

Breathing in love...

Breathing out peace.

Breathing in peace...

And breathing out love.

Now, bring to mind something in your life that matters to you.

It could be your business.

A relationship.

Your writing or creative work.

A fitness intention.

A dream you’re bringing into being.

Or something else.

You don’t need to figure anything out.

Now, ask If this part of your life were a plant, what would it be?

It could be a tree, a flower, a bush, a small seedling…

Something completely unexpected.

Just notice what emerges.

See it, feel it, imagine it, or simply let yourself know.

What kind of plant is it?

(Let yourself pause as long as you need here, though the first answer is usually right).

How big is it?

Does it seem healthy?

Is it in the ground or in a container?

If it’s in a container, is the container the right size?

How rooted is your plant?

Are its roots deep or shallow?

Does it have enough room to grow?

Now notice the soil.

Is it rich and nourishing?

Dry?

Muddy?

Something else?

Does your plant need more water—or has it been getting too much?

What about sunlight?

Air?

Space?

What does your plant seem to need?

Now widen your view and notice where your plant is located.

Is it out in the open?

Behind other trees?

In a pasture?

In your backyard?

Right in front of your house?

Can other people see it?

Can you see it?

Does its location feel right?

Don’t try to interpret any of this yet.

Just notice.

And now ask your plant:

What do you need from me?

Let the answer come however it comes.

You might receive words, an image, a feeling, a knowing, or simply the impulse to change something.

Maybe the plant needs more attention.

Maybe it needs less attention.

Maybe it needs room … or protection … or nourishment.

Maybe it needs visibility… deeper roots or a bigger container.

Just notice it.

Then ask your plant:

What can I do to help you flourish?

You may move it, water it, prune something, change its container, plant it in a pasture or field, or just be with it.

Let your intuition guide you.

When you’re finished, notice how your plant looks and feels now.

And notice how you feel.

What did your intuitive garden show you?

Our intuition often has a 360 view of life and when we invoke its guidance playfully, we receive answers that make intuitive sense — in a grounded way.

If you’d like to journal about it, here are some questions to ask:

What surprised you?

What did your plant need?

Did you change anything?

And, feel free to share your experience in the comments below. 💖

Want to explore your Intuitive Garden?
Upgraded members can book a complimentary, one-time, personalized 15-minute Intuitive Garden session.

This is one of my favorite processes and I think you’ll love it!

In this 15-min session, we'll explore your plant, what it means, and discover next steps! To receive this session, simply upgrade.

In joy, Heather 🌱🌳🌸

Heather Schwartz is an intuitive energy reader and soul-to-soul communicator who works with intuitive and empathic people to reconnect with their own energy, trust their intuition, and live as their fullest, truest selves, especially in connection. Prior to working as an intuitive, Heather was a mindfulness-oriented, relational psychologist.

Photo by Luke Leung on Unsplash

Have you ever tried everything to change something in your life and nothing seems to move?

You’ve done the inner work.

You’ve pushed hard.

But nothing happens!

Here’s the thing: not everything you’re carrying is yours.

If you’re an intuitive, sensitive person, you probably already know:

It could be absorbed.

It could be inherited.

It might be from a past life.

Or, something else…

Whenever I work with someone who feels stuck, I look at whether the energy they’re experiencing is entirely theirs.

Often, it’s a mixture of their own energy and something else.

And, what’s happening in the present is often a reflection or reverberation of some other event and emotional state from the past or from someone else!

Here’s an example:

I was working with a client who was also an intuitive practitioner, *Mabel, who had written a book.

For two years, she’d tried everything to promote her book.

She’d written podcasters.

With no response.

She’d offered free chapters and talks about her book.

Things didn’t pick up.

She cleared her energy and worked in her Akashic Records.

Things shifted inside her, but, nothing happened with her book!

When we met for her session, I heard intuitively that she’d had a past life as a cloistered nun in the 1700’s in France.

The information was very specific.

As a psychic, I often see, hear, know, and feel information about the person I’m working with that isn’t visible at first.

I saw her as a nun on her hands and knees scrubbing the convent floor, baking bread for the community, and praying with her community.

Every act was an offering to the divine.

As a soul-to-soul communicator, one of the things I do is to talk to the person from the past life.

In this case, the nun couldn’t understand why Mabel would need money.

After all, she would be provided for!

But this wasn’t up-to-date information.

Both my client and I talked to her and clairvoyantly showed her pictures of Mabel’s current life with her husband. How she’d worked so hard to write and publish the book and how things were stopped.

I said to the nun, “It’s 2025. It’s a different world from the one you knew.”

She was shocked.

We talked about how making money didn’t detract from it being an offering to the divine.

The nun began to understand.

Side note: in my experience, it’s fairly common for spiritual/intuitive practitioners to have had past lives as monks and nuns — where we didn’t need to make money or making money was somehow seen as sacrilegious. But, it’s not.

The nun could see that Mabel needed to support herself.

And, Mabel and I could see how this nun’s deep faith and commitment to the divine was healing for the world, wanted and needed.

There was so much respect on all sides.

So, we asked that the nun be part of Mabel’s spirit team and she gratefully agreed.

We ended the conversation with joy and gratefulness in our hearts!

One week later, I received an email from Mabel:

A podcaster with 10,000 subscribers had written to ask if Mabel would appear on her show, share her book, and create a series of videos with this podcaster to promote her work.

It was incredible!

Working with the part of her soul that was not in alignment at first shifted her energy enough to create great changes externally.

In my experience, this is the gift of intuitive energy work.

Sometimes when we feel stuck, it’s not because we’re doing something wrong or haven’t tried hard enough.

Quite the contrary!

Trying very hard can actually get in the way of releasing energy.

But, as in this case, there may be something underneath the stuckness that isn’t obvious.

And sometimes, the energy we uncover isn’t something that needs to be pushed away.

The nun carried tremendous devotion, faith, and love for the divine. Those were beautiful qualities, foundational qualities that were part of Mabel.

She just needed to understand that Mabel was living in a different time and that receiving money for her work didn’t make her work any less sacred.

Once there was understanding, something huge shifted in both Mabel and the nun.

And, no part of Mabel was left behind. 💖

I’m curious… Have you ever discovered that something you thought was yours actually came from somewhere else?

And, if so, I’d love to hear your personal experience, if you’d care to share! 💕

*Mabel - not her real name

****

Heather Schwartz is an intuitive reader, soul-to-soul communicator, and energy worker who works with intuitive and empathic people to reconnect with their own energy, trust their intuition, and live as their fullest, truest selves, especially in connection with others. Prior to working as an intuitive reader, Heather was a mindfulness-oriented, relational psychologist.

“Why did she do dat?!” Junie asked me.

We were on our morning walk through the neighborhood this morning when we passed a little girl who quickly ran to the other side of the sidewalk to get away from Junie.

I explained that some people have bad experiences with dogs.

“Like you,” I said, “with people.”

She was really surprised.

“June didn’t,” she exclaimed about herself.

Junie always talks about herself in 3rd person. 🤣

I had assumed that she’d had a bad experience being brought up by a breeder; she was bred early and often and came to us as a rescue having just given birth to puppies. We could tell from her body.

Early on in Junie’s adoption, I would sit on the floor with my arms around her while she clutched stuffed animals and wailed.

This went on for multiple weeks.

It was heartbreaking.

Over time, she stopped and healed and we went on.

But, what Junie shared with me this morning was quite surprising!

She said that the people were good to her but when they let her go (I see them in my mind’s eye, opening a gate and letting her loose), and when they wouldn’t let her come home, it broke her heart.

This broke my heart.

I asked my guides what would help.

Keep in mind, we were walking along in our neighborhood, but the pain of what she felt was so huge to me.

I’ve had my own heartbreak and this felt like too much because I love Junie so much and I would never want her heart to be broken.

I took deep breaths and tried to stay with the feelings.

Then, my guides showed me a process to help Junie.

They said: hold her broken heart like shards of glass in your hands.

I clairvoyantly showed her the image of her heart and she acknowledged the pieces.

She gazed at me.

Then, I said to her, “Can we heal this together?”

Junie looked at me in earnest with great seriousness in her eyes, and answered,

“Yes, Mommy.”

I showed her a picture in my mind of holding her heart, kissing her, and letting her other mommy and sister and brother dogs — kiss her heart and love her.

As I watched clairvoyantly, her heart began to come back together and it looked brighter and more beautiful!

Then, I asked her to heal her own heart.

She paused and with great enthusiasm yelled,

“It’s healed, Mommy!” and jumped forward on our walk!

She was ready to go! 😄

This experience with Junie reminds me that we don’t have to heal alone.

Healing can happen together.

And it can happen faster than we might think!

Photo by Joris Visser on Unsplash

There’s a beautiful practice called, Lectio Divina (Latin for “Divine reading”) which I read about in a poetry journal — I can’t remember which one. 🤣

Lectio Divina is a way of praying, of being guided by Source/God/the Universe through verse and is often a Catholic practice to meet with the divine.

Though I’m not religious, I love this practice — but, I’m going to make it a bit more spiritual than religious.

I think poetry can be spiritual and it can be like a doorway into spiritual life and conversations with your intuition.

And, I’ve found that this practice, much like meditation, makes space for experiences to rise up and be seen, heard, and understood and to connect from this expansive place rather than from fear.

Want to experience it?

There are the 4 traditional steps of Lectio Divina: Read, Meditate, Pray, Contemplate.

But, I’m going to share them as I remember them from the poetry journal I read years ago:

1. Read the poem slowly, taking it in.

2. Read the poem again and notice if a word or phrase shimmers or captures your attention.

3. Read the poem a third time, taking time to allow whatever meanings to emerge, offering your thoughts, feelings, and gratitude to Source/God/The Universe.

4. Read the poem a fourth time, and let the words move through you, allowing your connection with Source/God/the Universe to be present with you. Rest in the loving presence of Source/God/the Universe without needing words.

Here’s the poem I chose (you’re welcome to try this with another one of your favorites):

AT BLACKWATER POND

At Blackwater Pond, the tossed waters have settled

after a night of rain.

I dip my cupped hands. I drink

a long time. It tastes

like stone, leaves, fire. It falls cold

into my body, waking the bones. I hear them

deep inside me, whispering

oh what is that beautiful thing that just happened?

— Mary Oliver, Devotions, 2017

Some questions to take it deeper through your journaling

1. What words shimmered or stood out to you?

2. Are there images, sensations, or thoughts about these words? Were you surprised by the words?

3. What about your life is reflective of these words, sensations, or images?

   (This particular question is based on the practice of Focusing by Gendlin)

4. How did this change your experience of the poem?

5. If you’d like, write about the words and ask your intuition to guide you. 🤗

   In my experience: I was surprised that the words that shimmered were settled and cupped. It reminds me of going to horseback riding camp with my family for two weeks one summer and how I drank from the stream with my cupped hands. The water was so fresh and invigorating! I felt alive! It was one of the best vacations I had with my family of origin and it makes me a little sad and wistful but also grateful. Wow. I hadn’t thought of that vacation in years! 😄🦋

   You never know what might arise from a practice like this!

   ✨And, if you’d like to share about your experience, I’d love to hear! 💜

Heather Schwartz is an intuitive reader, soul-to-soul communicator, and energy worker who works with intuitive and empathic people to reconnect with their own energy, trust their intuition, and live as their fullest, truest selves, especially in connection with others. Prior to working as an intuitive, Heather trained and worked as a mindfulness-oriented, relational psychologist and prior to that, as a creative writing major in college.

Photo by Scott Goodwill on Unsplash

For many of us sensitive, intuitive, and creative people, the feeling of belonging may not have come easily.

So much of life is focused on belonging with other people though these experiences can also bring a deep feeling of being more in tune with ourselves, and vice versa!

I remember the first time I found “my people.”

I was 13, in a gawky stage with braces and glasses, and shaky around kids who weren’t as sensitive as me — you know: noticing all the nuances of interactions and not always having words for all of my feelings.

I didn’t always understand how to be myself with other people.

Then, I went to Unirondack: the Unitarian Universalist (UU) Camp in the Adirondacks with other kids from my youth group.

For those who don’t know, Unitarian Universalist is like a potpourri of religions, honoring all of them without a need to believe in a formal God, and focused on social justice and a search for the truth.

I grew up UU because my parents couldn’t decide on a formal religion. We were Jewish by ethnicity but my mom had always celebrated secular Christian holidays like Christmas and my dad had rebelled against his Conservative Jewish father who was a rabbi and he wanted to celebrate none of it!

I was the spiritual black sheep in my family. 🤣

I’d always been the intuitive, spiritual weirdo who could feel other people’s feelings, know when plants needed to be watered, and felt the essence of life with reverence. I wanted to celebrate this and ask questions rather than have people answer them for me.

While my parents were erratic people who didn’t understand my sensitivity or intuition, we all shared the belief that we needed to find our own truth rather than have someone else dictate it to us! 🤣

UU was perfect for us.

So, when I went to Camp Unirondack, I felt at home like never before.

Here were other kids who had more questions than answers. They were spiritual rebels who actually dressed how they felt (often in black)— and I loved that!

But, what I remember most vividly, was being greeted with love.

From day one, my new friend, Pam came up to me, hugged me, and it felt she could see into my soul. In a good way.

It was unnerving and vulnerable but amazing, too.

She hugged me a lot, listened to me deeply, and kissed my face — I’d never let anyone in that close to me, but her essence, her genuine kindness made me feel seen, cared about, and valued.

It was profound.

Her love opened a doorway into my heart that I thought I’d nailed shut. I’d always felt different but it didn’t matter to Pam.

And though I felt really vulnerable, I also felt more joy than I’d felt in a long time.

To be truly seen is a blessing when it allows the flow of love through.

I still carry this feeling of belonging with me whenever I go into new experiences.

It’s a memory that’s become part of my heart. 💜

The Room of Belonging

I created the guided meditation below to increase the feeling of belonging.

It’s an invitation to a room where you can feel your truth, your right to be here, and your worth.

And, it’s just for you. ♥️

Heather Schwartz is an intuitive reader, soul-to-soul communicator, and energy worker who works with intuitive and empathic people to reconnect with their own energy, trust their intuition, and live as their fullest, truest selves, especially in connection with others.

Photo by Sawyer Bengtson on Unsplash

Almost every time I watch 20/20 with my partner, the spirit of the person who “died” comes to me to tell me they’re alright.

The first time it happened, I was curled up in an armchair, crying after watching an episode of a woman who was murdered by her abusive boyfriend.

And then, her spirit physically tapped me on my left shoulder and said,

Miss ... Miss... it’s okay! I’m alright!

I sat back and asked,

“But why did you have to die this way? It was so awful!’

She shrugged and I’ll never forget how calm she was!

She responded,

I was here on earth to learn self-love and this was the way my soul chose to learn it.

“But it took dying!”I told her with urgency and grief.

What she communicated to me was:

That was the way my soul chose to experience it.

It’s okay. I’m okay.

She wasn’t hurting anymore. She was at peace.

For my human mind, this was boggling.

20/20 only showed certain aspects of her story and not this part behind the scenes.

Most of life doesn’t and then we think the physical world is the only reality, but it’s not, and this is a huge part of why I left the field of psychology; it didn’t acknowledge this other very relevant part.

Talking with this woman’s spirit soothed my heart and opened my eyes to a larger reality that goes beyond the physical.

And, as I watched as the interviewer on 20/20 share that in response to her death, the family created an organization to assist women to recognize the signs of abuse and stay safe.

It was so healing to watch the family respond to a horrible and shocking loss and transform it into something potentially healing for everyone.

My spirit guides said to me in response:

“Do you see how her life and “death” created a larger shift for everyone?

This is not a mistake.

A larger healing is taking place because of her life and “death.”

This doesn’t mean murder is okay!

Far from it!

And, if someone had stepped in, would she have learned self-love?

I don’t know. I’d like to think so.

What I do know is that situations may be bigger than we can understand in the moment.

And, what I do know from talking with spirits is that we’re all healing — together. 💖

This was originally part of a larger post called, The Ethics of Being Psychic, which if you’d like, you can read here.

When our animals struggle, it can be heartbreaking.

Recently, our rescue dog, Murphy (seen above at daycare) had a type of hip surgery to remove the ball and neck of his hip joint.

This was actually his second FHO surgery and, after two days, we could tell that he was not doing well compared to his first surgery.

He limped around and fell a lot.

He looked so helpless.

What would happen if he didn’t get better?

While I felt concerned, I know it’s better to feel my feelings and then let go rather than hold onto the story that things won’t change. My spirit guides have told me that holding onto the narrative is a way of keeping the energy static — rather than allowing change to occur.

Speaking of which, I trained in something called, The Emotion Code, created by chiropractor, Dr. Bradley Nelson.

It’s a way to clear inherited, lived, or absorbed “emotions.” These emotions are not always standard feelings. They can be anything from “love unreceived,” to “peeved.”

Even though you can clear energy without knowing the details, when I use The Emotion Code, I often receive intuitive guidance about situations and communicate on a soul level with whomever is involved.

As I cleared Murphy’s energy, I noticed that the main emotion coming up for him was “worthless.” I received very clear guidance that he felt worthless when he was given up by his first caretaker and given away.

As a soul-to-soul communicator with people and animals, I heard Murphy tell me intuitively that he didn’t feel wanted because of his hips.

He told me intuitively that his first caregiver had been a runner and when she couldn’t run with him, she gave him up.

Murphy shared with me that he was worried that we would give him up if he wasn’t doing well! He didn’t want to be a burden.

This is a common issue for rescue animals -- they can have old emotional wounds that get triggered when new issues come up, just like people, (which is why it’s important not to retell their stories of sadness in front of them).

I’ve found that it’s not true that domestic animals can just shake the feelings off. I don’t know about wild animals.

When I muscle tested Murphy’s energy, I got that he felt “worthless.”

As he and I cleared the energy of worthlessness, I talked to Murphy intuitively and let him know how grateful we are that we got to adopt him.

He’s our boy! 💖

We are SO grateful to know him and love him!

And while we would never wish him pain, I told him that if he hadn’t had hip issues, we wouldn’t have been able to adopt and love him and that would be awful!

Thank goodness he’s who he is!

He said he’d never thought of his issue with his hips like this! 🤗

After clearing worthlessness and replacing it with “loved and wanted,” he and I cleared “helplessness” and replaced it with “strong!”

Literally minutes after the session, Murphy stood up, balanced fully on his legs, and began romping around!

It was and is amazing! 🌟

He was smiling his doggy grin and wanted to play.

We had to settle him down! 🤣

Murphy told me he’s “strong!”

And, he has continued to get stronger and stronger each day — in heart, mind, soul, and body!

From this work, I’ve learned that animals are a lot more wise than we give them credit for, and when we do see them as they actually are: wise and powerful, we learn from them and can heal and evolve — together! 💗

P.S. I was feeling creatively blocked before I wrote this post so I used The Emotion Code to clear the block and then I was able to write a note and this updated post!

I did a blind reading for myself (not looking at the emotion) and just found out, just a moment ago that what I cleared was grief. I'd been feeling that lately and now I feel great!

If you’re curious and would like to experience an Emotion Code session for yourself or your animal, reach out here. I’m offering a special on Emotion Code sessions. 🤗

Heather Schwartz is an intuitive reader, soul-to-soul communicator, and energy worker who works with intuitive and empathic people to reconnect with their own energy, trust their intuition, and live as their fullest, truest selves, especially in connection with others.

The original post appeared on my website here.

Photo by John Towner on Unsplash

As a Highly Sensitive Person/Empath, I’ve always noticed the intersection (haha — see below) between everyday life and mystical experiences.

And this brings me to one of my most powerful mystical experiences that I’d love to share with you:

I was about to drive out of the Honda dealership after picking up my car.

It was a busy, sunny morning in Portland, OR.

My home was to the left, but since it was a busy, four lane road, it seemed improbable that I could turn left.

I’ve always been Clairaudient (clear hearing) and I heard my intuition very clearly and loudly:

“You can turn left. Just ask.”

I vacillated back and forth:

Could I really get what I wanted?

Was it safe?

Should I allow myself to want something like this? Especially if it didn’t happen?

So many emotions were riding on this question.

But I listened.

I did it.

I asked to turn left.

And this is something I’ll never forget:

Everyone stopped.

There were cars coming from two lanes on the left — and they paused to let me go.

There were cars coming from the two lanes on the right — and they paused to let me in.

It was like we were all participating in a spiritually-orchestrated experience!

And, we always are. ♥️

The back story on this experience is important; I had just left my career in psychology after 20+ years.

I felt lost — like I didn’t know where I belonged.

I didn’t know if I’d be okay.

What I understood from this experience was: You fit in everywhere (including between 4 lanes of cars on a busy street!) — and it’s going to be okay!

We’ve got you.

I want to say that this made everything alright. It didn’t.

I still struggled to find my ground again after such a big transition, but knowing that I have support and guidance made things better.

And, sometimes, we are each others’ “angels.”

Everyone who stopped was part of this mystical orchestration.

This feeling has stayed with me whenever I’d wonder if things would be okay.

And, I’ve learned, JUST ASK.

Be willing to be amazed!

It may not turn out how you think but it might turn out better than you think!

This message goes out to anyone making big changes in your life.

Hang in there.

It may not look okay — and if you get scared, just ASK.

And, if you’d like to share, what's one mystical or spiritual experience that's changed your life?

I'd love to hear your story! 💖

Photo by Matt Nelson on Unsplash

Okay folks, as promised here is one of my favorite methods for working behind the scenes when there’s a point of disconnection.

It’s based on a method by psychic, Cyndi Dale but it’s my take on her method.

You can do this process when you’ve had an argument or when you’re feeling less connected with a family member, friend, or partner.

The cool part is that you focus on yourself and feel supported by your soul rather than trying to fix, control, or receive reassurance from the other person!

When we focus on the other person, we shift out of our power.

As my guides say, your point of power is in the present moment in your own energy.

I’ve used this process nearly every time after arguments with my partner and the results are quick.

I’ve also taught it to clients over the years and the results have been profound: deeper understanding, more willingness to empathize with the other person’s perspective without losing their own perspective, and faster resolutions.

Not only do issues resolve faster but people’s sense of sovereignty increases. I’ve noticed this in myself, too.

It’s a game-changer. ✨

Let’s do it!

• Make sure you allow about 10 minutes of time to relax in a quiet place.

• Roll your shoulders back and take a few deep breaths, in through your nose, out through your mouth.

• Close or lower your eyelids.

• Now, imagine or sense that your soul is behind you.

Your soul is always inside your body and around you. It’s big!

• But you can sense, imagine, or know that your soul is behind you.

• Take a moment to feel your soul now.

• Ask for a hug.

What does it feel like?

I tend to feel it as warm and nurturing. Stay here as long as you’d like.

This part is important because you’re reconnecting with who you are on a spiritual level. Now, let yourself be loved by this larger part of you.

• When you’re ready, imagine your partner/family member/friend across from you. If they’re mad at you, make it a safe distance.

  (Side note: I’ve noticed Clairvoyantly that sometimes when people are mad, they throw energy — which can look like swords and other weapons. This is not great karma and you don’t want to do this).

• Now, let this person know how you feel. Speak from your heart. Express your feelings. (But don’t throw any energy at them! 🤣).

• Let your feelings be heard.

• Now, invite the other person as a soul to share how they feel without throwing energy. It’s important to ask for their soul perspective as it will be more whole and true — rather than just their ego (which is usually the part we access when we’re scared, hurt, or mad).

• Listen attentively.

• Now, ask that all issues between you drop away — like stones or leaves falling into water.

• Notice how much lighter you feel.

• Then, ask that the solution occur between you.

• You might sense that the person in spirit comes closer and hugs you or that you emerge anew with new insights.

• Now, this is important: notice what has shifted in your external world. It might be that you feel lighter and more free. There’s often a shift in your relationship and in the other person.

The point is not to control anyone else but to let the energy between you both clear before you reconnect in the physical world.

And if you feel called, let me know how it goes for you!

Photo by Artyom Kabajev on Unsplash

Have you ever wondered which of your psychic senses is the strongest?

Your intuition has a favorite way of connecting with you!

Knowing this can greatly enhance how you differentiate intuition from your thoughts or feelings and it can help you know when your intuition has improved!

Let’s find out together which one is yours:

Sense, feel, or imagine that you’re near a tree. Place your hands on its bark. What is its texture? Is it craggy? Smooth? Peeling? Something else?

Feel your feet on the earth — if you prefer, walk barefoot. Notice whether you’re walking on grass, soft dirt, moss, or something else.

Pause and notice how this feels…

What is the temperature of the air? Through your intention, you can make it cooler or warmer! Notice that.

Look at the tree in your mind’s eye. How tall is it? Do you see it clearly or is it just a flash or nothing at all?

If you see nothing, that’s fine too.

Notice if there are any scents in the air: pine, cedar, grass, or flowers? Something else?

Now, listen: Can you hear the breeze through the leaves or the sound of bird calls?

Finally, ask your intuition to share with you what kind of tree it is. You might just know without seeing it. Trust this.

Which sense came the most naturally to you? (Feel free to share below!)

If the physical sensations were strongest for you: the bark beneath your hands, the earth beneath your feet, the temperature of the air, you may be more inclined towards Clairsentience (Clear Feeling).

This is a very common intuitive strength for Empaths.

People with strong Clairsentience often receive information through feelings, sensations in their bodies, or by holding objects in their hands (sometimes called Psychometry).

—> A fun way to play with this gift is to ask, if this situation or person were a texture, what would it/ they be?

If you could smell the air, you may have a gift for Clairsalience (or clear smelling). This is a lesser known but powerful psychic sense! It allows you to know through your nose! 👃🤣

—> A fun way to play with this gift is to ask: If this situation were a smell, what would it be?

If you saw the tree clearly, your Clairvoyance (or Clear Seeing) may be more open than other senses. You might receive images or mini movies in your head about events, experience vivid dreams, or get premonitions of events to come.

Receiving images are a common way for spirits, angels, spirit guides, and animals (in physical form) to talk with you! And, if you can’t receive them yet, don’t despair! It’s always possible to open up your Clairvoyance.

(I couldn’t consistently see intuitively until I cleared energy blocks, which are common for people who had previous lifetimes where spiritual gifts like these were punished). You can always develop Clairvoyance — especially after you work with your strongest sense and develop good boundaries and grounding!

If you heard the birds or the leaves in the wind, you might be more inclined towards Clairaudience (or Clear Hearing).

When you’re strongest gift is Clairaudience, you might hear snippets, talk intuitively to other people or animals and have whole conversations with your intuition.

You might also hear a song in your head that has to do with a question you’ve been asking or an issue you’ve been having.

Being able to differentiate this sense from your inner critic is easy when you realize that intuition is either neutral or feels good!

—> A fun way to play with this psychic sense is to ask: If this situation were a word, a quote, or a song, what would it be?

If you get downloads of information, whole ideas come pouring through you with inner certainty, you might be Claircognizant (or Clear Knowing).

This is one of the trickiest intuitive senses to identify because it can feel like your own thoughts.

The difference is often that when it’s an intuitive download, you receive it in its entirety (or almost) unlike when you think something through, piece by piece.

—> A fun way to play with Claircognizant is to center and create space for the downloads to occur, such as asking a question, letting the question go, walking in nature, and allowing it to arrive. Or, you can have a friend put something in a paper bag and when you feel clear and centered, ask what it is and let the answer come to you! Giving yourself space while feeling centered in your core can often bring about aha’s that feel good.

Keep in mind that Claircognizant downloads arrive with a feeling of truth, knowing, and understanding and the answers they provide feel good or neutral.

Here’s the thing: we all have all these abilities. But one may have a block (like Clairvoyance. That’s common).

And, one is clearly stronger than the rest.

When you start with where you’re strongest, you can more easily develop the others over time. My guides call this “The Gateway Sense.” It creates the pathway for our other psychic senses to develop.

We don’t want to develop them all at once, typically, because that can be overwhelming for our systems.

I know this first hand. 🤣 I pushed my Clairvoyance to open a lot before I was grounded and before I had good psychic boundaries.

I ended up seeing things that freaked me out more! Thank goodness for good psychic training and teachers!

Your psychic senses are part of who you are and as you develop them, the world opens up in ways that are powerful, creative, and inspiring! 🌀

If this sparked your curiosity and you'd like some guidance developing your own intuitive gifts, I'd love to work with you. You can learn more or book a session here.

_{Feel free to share which psychic sense is strongest for you! I’d love to hear! 💜}

****

✨Heather Schwartz is a psychic and soul-to-soul communicator who works with intuitive and empathic people who are here to grow spiritually and personally and trust their intuition so that life feels easier, more joyful, and meaningfully connected. Find out more at: www.heartandsoulalchemy.net

Photo by Pedro Ramos on Unsplash

Why I write about the mystical: I write because as a Highly Sensitive Person and Empath, I’ve always felt the energy of situations and people.

Writing helps me to bring these ephemeral experiences into the physical world in an integrative way.

I also quite frankly, write to prove to myself that it’s real.

The human part of me questions it.

Even after all these years of seeing and hearing spirits, there’s a part of my brain that doesn’t believe it.

It’s the human/ego part of me.

That’s why I don’t say I’m a psychic medium.

I’ve been scared someone will ask me to do a reading that I can’t do -- even though I’ve done them! — and I won’t be able to bring a spirit through.

It’s never happened, but it could happen! 😂

And, I’m not doing this alone — far from it.

We’re all doing it together: the client, the spirit, my guides, Source/God itself, and me.

It’s so different from being a psychologist where you go to school and train for many years, learn how to listen and respond based on the theories you perceive create wellbeing.

Psychic readings are a free fall: a complete surrender and experience of trust.

That's been a huge lesson: I’m not doing this alone.

And I hope this brings you support and hope! 💗

Whether you know it or not, you’re in collaboration creatively, intuitively, and connectively with everyone you know!

And, how we communicate intuitively affects our relationships with our loved ones and our daily lives.

Btw, I’ll be including some posts on this on communicating intuitively in relationships and life — because it’s a game-changer!

Everything from arguments with loved ones to rude drivers can be different through intuitive communication — so that you can begin to connect, too.

Intuitive communication is so amazing.

And, I’ve gotta tell you: I’m the most unlikely medium. 😂

I saw my first spirit at age 19 in the first floor bathroom of my dorm where I was standing in front of a mirror with a candelabra, assisting a friend with her video project.

Though I couldn’t hear what the spirit was saying, I could see her fully as though she were standing in front of me: long blond hair parted in the middle, soft flowy dress down to her ankles, and I saw her white lips moving.

I shook and was scared to death. I stayed up all night for two nights afterwards, afraid she’d show up again! 🤣 I SO didn’t want to be there for that — even though my fellow classmates started to haunt that bathroom 😂 with candles trying to bring her out.

It didn’t work.

But upperclassmen told me that others had seen this ghost and that there was a girl in the 1970’s who killed herself in that bathroom!

Later, when I began to discern what it felt like to walk through the energy of spirits, I’d freak out when I walked through them on the way to the bathroom in the middle of the night! 🤣 I started waiting until morning.

On the other hand, my most meaningful experiences psychically have often included talking to the spirits of people and animals.

They can be physically alive but we’re talking through our hearts and minds.

I love learning about who they are, growing and healing from their messages, and feeling more deeply connected.

One of my favorite conversations was with a spirit named Sven.

Sven told me he was the grandfather of my “sitter” (the name for a client) who was also my teacher of mediumship training.

Btw, I didn’t want to do mediumship training but it was part of the psychic training I took.

So, anyway, in mediumship training, we were given the names of people who had passed without any other details.

Sven told me he’d never known the sitter in physical life because he’d “died” before but he’d been there for her birth and loved her immediately! She was so beautiful!

The way he spoke about her was so loving. It’s really hard to describe it here.

My teacher smiled and blushed and then asked me to ask him how he died.

He wouldn’t tell me.

He said, That’s not what’s important. Ask me how I lived and loved. That is what is most important!

He said he loved his grandchildren and children and had watched them grow up!

My teacher asked me to ask him again when he died.

He told me, age 38. I was stunned. He was so young!

I checked with my teacher. It was true.

Then, she persevered again, and he showed me through my body — which went completely numb from my hips down — that he’d had an accident.

She said, yes, that was true. He had a motorcycle accident that left him paralyzed from the hips down.

Again, it was shocking.

And, again he said with presence and reverence in a Norwegian accent, I lived and loved fully — that is the most important thing!

It was so moving!

He wanted the sitter, (my mediumship teacher), to know that he loved her and was there for her birth and all the way since then!

Our family members in spirit are always here!

Being a medium (yes, I’ll claim it!) has helped me and sitters realize that no one leaves.

We’re always connected.

And we don’t have to fear what’s on the other side of this life.

It’s all of us! ♥️✨

Photo by Cole Keister on Unsplash

One of the things I’ve learned something from being psychic and talking with spirits is:

No one dies.

And, it’s never too late to reconnect and heal.

I’ve had many experiences talking with people and animals’ spirits and every time, they want me to know things that can create love and healing. ♥️

Case in point: a few days ago, I was working out to 25 minute Speed Train with Joel Freeman at home.

One moment I was thinking of my dad, then his friend, *Eric, then his wife, *Rosie who had passed recently, and then next minute I was seeing Rosie in my mind’s eye clairvoyantly, and she was talking to me!

Even as a psychic, this is always startling and amazing.

What Rosie wanted to share with me was emotional and — frankly, not the best timing since I was panting through the workout — but I stopped because I could tell she wanted to get this off her chest.

Anytime a spirit comes in to tell me something, I listen.

Rosie wanted me to know that the judgment I’d expressed towards her had hurt her.

I had judged her unfairly and, I’m not proud of this, even made fun of her at times.

I was in my early 20’s at the time, and life had been really challenging.

I dated her daughter who had lied to me about how her mom treated her and I believed her, felt protective of my ex, and felt really mad at Rosie.

But even after I found out that her daughter lied, I still belittled Rosie. I’m not proud of my behavior but I own it.

Rosie wanted me to know a few things:

First, that judgment hurts people on a spiritual, emotional, and physical level. And to think twice about doing it. It had hurt her. Judgment, in general, is toxic, she said.

I apologized profusely and she said that wasn’t why she was there. She did want to tell me but she also had other things to say that were important.

Second, that I was really mad at my mother and I projected on her. Hearing it was hard, but it was true.

Third, that her daughter was really difficult and had been the abusive one. This was shocking and I heard intuitively that it was true.

Fourth, Rosie encouraged me to forgive myself for being mean to her because my anger and shame towards myself wouldn’t create healing. This was the hardest part of the conversation. After I’d heard I’d hurt her and she was coming to me with this — and wasn’t exactly happy, I felt so beleaguered. I wanted to hole up with shame. But, she said it would stop the healing.

She was insistent that we clear the space between us — so that I could move on. And, I hear intuitively, so that she could move forward, too.

I cannot even begin to tell you how powerful this was to experience and now to write about and share with you.

There was a time I kept these experiences close to my chest.

But, I think it’s more important that you know that your loved ones are all around you. And, that healing doesn’t stop when we “die.”

It’s never too late to repair a connection with someone and say, I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Let’s find a way back and heal — together. ♥️

* Not their real names

Photo by Koray Guler on Unsplash

What if the challenges in our lives are here for us?

The scholar of mythology, Joseph Campbell created the concept, The Hero’s Journey to describe that passage of time when a “hero” physically leaves the familiar landscape of his/her/their life and goes on an journey that involves many challenges, coming home a changed person.

It’s the plot of many famous novels like The Odyssey.

And, it’s also often the plot of our lives.

I’ve often thought of the time of inner work — not visible to others — as The Heroine’s Journey.

In my version of The Heroine’s Journey, we experience something profound, experience a death in our identity, and are forever changed.

Psychotherapist, Francis Weller calls these moments when we’re forever changed, initiations.

He describes how in traditional cultures, an initiation is part of the community.

It’s a “contained encounter with death… the initiate, in a very real sense, dies and is re-birthed at the end of the process” into a wider sense of identity and view of the world.

When it’s done well, the person emerges more whole than before, and the community thrives.

Trauma, Weller writes, is a rough initiation.

A rough initiation, without community, can result in leaving us feeling powerless, emptied of our resources, and as though we’ve lost a part of our soul.

Soul, by the way, in Weller’s perspective is both authentically personal and communal.

And, initiation, when done well, is both as well.

Three years ago, I went on my version of The Heroine’s Journey/ rough initiation.

Both my parents had dementia at the same time and I was their sole (remote) caregiver.

They were losing it and I was losing sleep as I flew back and forth from Portland, OR to Summerville, SC many times a month.

My partner and I were in the midst of moving from Portland to Indiana, which involved selling our current house, driving across the country, and finding our new house.

I won’t sugarcoat this.

It was a lot — for 2 years.

My days and nights were filled with phone calls from hospitals after my parents fell or wandered away, organizing caregivers, tracking down doctors to create plans for their treatment, and trying to organize their finances.

It was overwhelming to say the least.

And, it was a rough initiation.

There were no guard rails.

And, yet, as I look back now, maybe there were…

The transition from rough initiation to true initiation came when I felt the love within and around me; I called in my Spirit Team, received support from my partner, Erin, her mom, and our friends.

I surrendered the fight to make things happen quickly.

I got to experience a different part of myself.

For years, I’d been mad at my parents because they were difficult people and I didn’t feel I could be myself.

But, as I noticed what the situation needed, it was like a larger part of me stepped in. I gave up anger for peace and commitment.

And, my soul became part of the process.

From this experience, my viewpoint of something happening to me to something happening for us all became clear:

This initiation was larger than all of us.

And, I had to let it happen.

It was like getting on ride and letting it take me where it was going to go.

I surrendered.

I started to view the hospitals and caregivers and me as one big team. I wrote about that in my Substack article here.

Time had a different quality while caring for each parent. It was deeply immersive.

Instead of living in fight or flight, I found gratitude in each moment: on the plane flying to SC, developing a practice of blessing each person in the airport, being present in the grocery story shopping for my parents, rather than pushing to get through it, and, instead of trying to find the next fun thing, letting the grief of what was happening move through me like an ocean wave.

When I look back, I feel so grateful that I could be there for and with my parents. We were all going through a rough initiation.

This initiation changed me. It changed all of us.

And when I emerged from this situation anew, I knew I could never go back to treating grief as something to simply push through and get beyond.

At that time, I was just trying to take care of my parents as best as I could but now I see it with new eyes and a full heart as something for all of us.

And, when I look at life this way, I wonder if all our difficult moments are actually leading us to the next iteration of who we are becoming…

Your thoughts?

How does it feel to think of a tough situation as an initiation?

Does it change the way you view your journey?

If so, I’d love to hear. 💛

Photo by Nick Russill on Unsplash

“Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens.”
–Carl Jung

When we try to let go of who or what we’re attached to, it can feel like removing a necessary part of ourselves — one that we didn’t realize was ours.

It could be grief, fear, or confusion or maybe a situation or person.

For years, as a highly sensitive person, I had intense feelings — getting mired in sadness or guilt — and I’d feel stuck like I should know how to let the feelings go.

In fact, my first mantra for meditation was “Let go.”

Ironically, I was holding on by trying so hard!

Oh the irony! 🤣

Then I discovered The Sedona Method, a self-inquiry process, and my perspective shifted.

Have you heard of it?

You start by aligning with the Truth of who you are.

You repeat to yourself:

Be as you are.

And Be as you are.

And BE … AS … YOU … ARE.

The emphasis on different words creates an energetic and physical shift.

I feel it in my core.

This is presence.

The first time I did this exercise, I expected to have to make myself let go.

Instead, I noticed something different.

Before I ever asked the questions, by repeating “And BE… AS … YOU … ARE” brought me back into my center powerfully.

It felt like I’d popped back into my body and expanded into something larger than myself. It was profound!

I had no idea that I was disconnected from myself until I popped back in!

✨

The next step in The Sedona Method is bringing to mind a situation that’s on your mind.

Maybe it’s a fear.

Maybe it’s a desire.

Maybe it’s a sticky emotion.

Whatever it is, is perfect.

Then you ask yourself 3 simple questions:

— Could I let this go?

— Would I let this go?

— When?

You wait after each question for your response.

The focus is on the asking and the allowing and your body.

Note that you can say, no and still release energy.

We let go by allowing and welcoming rather than fighting what is.

Repeat until you feel lighter.

Here is a video I made of this method.

In doing so, we release the resistance rather than holding onto it and we shift the field of energy within us!

The original process was created by Lester Levenson who had 2 heart attacks by age 42. He was told to go home to die. He decided to live and the original releasing process was born!

His student, Hale Dwoskin evolved his process with his permission and created The Sedona Method.

Dwoskin writes about how emotional releasing is akin to holding a pencil in the palm of your hand and letting it drop.

It’s a physical - energetic experience and not just a mental one.

What if we’ve been trying to release something in our minds that has always lived in our bodies?

This is the perspective of Van der Kolk and other somatic practitioners.

And, when we center ourselves through gentle self-inquiry, we can release what is in the way of being our true selves . 🦋

A picture of my dog, Junie.

After 14 years of talking to my dogs, other people’s cats and dogs, nobody’s bugs, 🤣and the deer in my neighborhood, I’m going to be taking an official, 1-year Animal Communication certification program.

It’s not that I don’t know how to communicate with animals.

I do.

It’s that I want to communicate better because I care deeply about creating a meaningful experience for everyone so that we can all understand each other. 💗

And not just project on each other.

I know how much my life has changed because of knowing my dogs intimately. How their words, their personalities, and their insights have moved me.

Animals have made me a better person.

And, because of this, and because I want to offer sessions with substance and because I love being in connection with animals and people, I’m doing it.

There’s also a difference between communicating with animals personally vs professionally — and while I’ve done it professionally, I want to continue to improve!

Years ago, I would have been too scared to show up this way.

Honestly, I would have thought I had to know better or know it all before I knew anything — that was my family’s training early on.

Be the best or don’t be at all. I come from two Narcissistic parents with their own deep-seated fears of not being enough and hiding it under truckloads of ego. 🤣

And, that’s part of my why, too.

I started connecting with animals as a child because they were emotionally more safe than my parents. I still wanted to love and be loved and I could feel their energy.

Animals taught me how to listen and love.

If you’re sensitive, can you relate?

I felt I understood the heart connection first and then the words came later.

Connecting with animals was a way back into my heart.

We’re often given messages subconsciously by society, our peers, and our parents, not to mention our past lifetimes which get mixed in with what we want — and they can get in the way of living and loving fully!

And, if you’re here to live and love fully, sometimes, it takes a few questions (or some energy clearing) to clear the rubble and feel what your Truth is.

Why you’re doing what you’re doing and what you’re receiving from it.

Is it more ego or is it more your heart and soul reaching out?

Here are two practices which can help you know your heart’s truth

1. Bring to mind or heart something or someone you love (especially an animal or a child or a place in nature because they open our hearts).

   Mindfully notice how you feel in your body. (Usually people feel expansive yet grounded and open in their chest). Notice how you’re breathing.

   Write down any sensations, images, or feelings that come to you.

   Next, think of something you don’t like and notice how you feel in your body (e.g. going to the dentist). Again, write down how you feel in your body, especially your core.

Now, bring to mind and heart something you’re contemplating doing.

Notice how you feel in your body.

Write down what you sense.

This is your body’s answer. 😊

Note: If you are nervous about pursuing something you’re excited about, this can alter your perception so I recommend continuing on to the next practice. 💛

2. 5 Why's:

   (This is a problem-solving method based on Sakichi Toyoda who founded Toyota Industries).

   Think of something you’re drawn to doing or experiencing.

   Ask yourself, why — 5 times and write down your answers.

   You want to get to the root of your answers.

   This helps you know your motivation.

Looking back, I realize that every time I felt a calling towards something, there was a deeper reason, a great love, behind it.

The things that have stuck (such as delighting in getting to know, understand, and connect with animals and people and experiencing the joy of being alive), have been part of my heart’s calling.

Maybe there’s something gently nudging you — or maybe it’s pushing you like a stone down a hill! 🤣 — towards your heart’s truth.

And, if you feel like sharing it, I’d love to hear it! ✨🦋

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

What happens when we suspend analysis and invite our intuition to guide us?

I was thinking of that very question this morning when I felt called to look at an old blog I created years ago when I was a psychologist.

Instead of just randomly clicking on posts, I asked my intuition, what posts are for me right now?

I was surprised by the answers. I hadn’t been expecting them and what I had written years before was more meaningful now.

It was as though my younger self had left a message in a bottle for me now!

It was a huge gift! 🎁

The answers we seek are sometimes hidden in the past or in our present lives.

We just have to be open to them!

How we ask is as important as what we ask!

If we’re in a state of fear, the answers may not come.

When I was training in psychic work, we were often encouraged to be open, play, and have fun with the process.

Connecting with our intuition can bring more meaning when we let go of having to know or analyzing anything.

These methods are called bottom-up processing because we’re using our body and all of our senses to know rather than engaging our minds first.

There are so many ways to tap into our intuition! 💓

Before You Begin

Take a moment to arrive fully and come back to yourself.

Close or lower your eyes. Place a hand on your heart if that feels good. Relax your shoulders, your jaw, and take a breath.

Then decide what you’re asking for.

Maybe you’re seeking clarity about a decision, inspiration for a creative project, or new perspective. Maybe you’re looking for insight about a relationship pattern.

The spirit of the question matters. Curiosity opens us up. Fear narrows our ability to read accurately.

When you feel centered, notice what you’re naturally drawn toward.

3 Ways

Let a book find you

Ask your intuition which book will serve your highest good.

Open it to the page that feels right.

Put your finger on the page or your kindle and read.

If it helps, write down what you receive.

Don’t worry if the answers aren’t clear initially.

The meaning may arrive later when you’re musing about something else, doing housework, petting animals, or walking in nature.

It’s a process to discern your intuition.

The energy of intuition often feels good, clear, lighter, and helpful.

Draw an oracle card

Shuffle the deck while relaxing.

Remember a time when the answers to your questions felt right on.

(This energy helps guide the process).

Draw a card that feels right.

What colors catch your eye?

What images draw you in?

What emotions come to the surface as you look.

You may feel a knowing deep within you. You may have an Aha!

Anything you feel or sense is right for the moment.

Trust that.

You are learning to trust your intuition this way.

Let the meaning arise naturally from your inner Self — the wise part of you that is always connected with the greater knowing.

As you stay with this experience, insights will arise.

Invite nature into the conversation 🌿

Ask your question before you step outside.

Thank the world for being here with you.

Know that nature is going to answer you — because we’re always in a relationship with nature — it is our true nature! 😄🍃

Mindfully bring awareness to the present moment.

Feel the breeze.

Notice the trees.

Listen to the birds or sounds around you.

Let them guide you.

Now, notice what draws your attention.

Ask: What is it about this object that answers my question?

Let the answers surprise you!

You don’t have to force anything… we’re all spiritual adventurers here! 🌠

You’re on a quest and are receiving the answers which are always within and around you…

This is one of my favorites!

🌿

I’d love to hear how these practices worked for you or if you tried one of your own! 😊💗

If you’d like more guidance on how to use writing to strengthen your connection with your intuition, feel free to read about it here or reach out for a complimentary conversation to learn more about my Integrative Intuitive Writing Method.

Here’s to more joy, fun, and meaning as you tap into your intuition! 💓✨

Heather Schwartz is a psychic reader and energy worker who helps intuitive and empathic people reconnect with their own energy, trust their intuition, and live as their fullest, truest selves, especially in connection with others.

Find out more at: www.heartandsoulalchemy.net

Photo by Jamie Wheeler on Unsplash

Have you had a feeling that you’ve known a person, place, language, or era before?

Maybe you’ve seen a film and felt nostalgia for a certain time period.

(Speaking of which, I wonder if that’s why people are so drawn to historical dramas such as Downton Abbey or The Tudors).

Or maybe you immediately felt a kinship with a new friend without knowing why or even felt at home in a new country despite never having been there.

What if deja vu is a way of reminding us that we are far more than our current histories?

The first time I experienced deja vu, I was standing at a peace rally in Cleveland during the second week of my first year in college.

The moment I saw a friend of my new acquaintance, I felt pulled towards her.

Her face lit up when she saw me.

I felt this tangle of feelings in my belly — recognition, amazement, and then bewilderment.

How did I know her?

She quickly angled her way past our row of mutual acquaintances, and said the words I'll never forget:

“Oh my God; it's YOU."

“How do I know you?” I wondered aloud, taking her sweaty hands in mine.

“I don’t know but I know we know each other” she said with reverence, gazing into my eyes.

But she had never been outside the state of Ohio and I had never been in it — until two weeks before — and we couldn’t figure out any other connection between us.

We spent time together, walking in the mall after the rally, holding hands.

“This is so weird,” she said to me, “I”m straight. I have a boyfriend, but I know we’ve been together before.”

I had this flash of her as my husband and when I said it to her, she nodded solemnly. “Yes, that’s true. I know it’s true in my gut.”

Many people find their loved ones again in this lifetime and have a pattern to resolve.

But, we both knew we’d had a good, peaceful life together.

It was profound and also gentle. Nothing to solve.

Just a peaceful reconnection.

She gave me her phone number but even though we shared this beyond words connection, our present didn’t match up with our past. I didn’t call her.

We never saw each other again but this memory of our connection lives in my heart as deeply as any other time. 💗

Since that time, I’ve had 4 other mutual encounters where we remembered each other. In each case, we were amazed by the feelings that didn’t match our current lives and in each case, unlike my first one, there was something to resolve.

It isn’t always easy but it’s always profound and a great reminder that we are much more than we think we are!

Have you ever experienced deja vu?

And, if so, what happened? I’d love to know!

P.S. This post was in part inspired by a conversation with Vlad Tverdohleb. Thank you, Vlad!

Photo by Pietro De Grandi on Unsplash

Sometimes, I notice that I don’t feel like myself. I feel blah or under-the-weather.

As an Empath, I used to experience this more often — before I realized that I’d picked up others’ energies or was able to recognize my own energy.

And, here’s what I’ve found: the more connected I am with my own energy, heart, and body, the more I experience the fullness of life!

I was thinking of this as I did #3 this morning, picture me, driving my Husky and Bernedoodle to doggie daycare, windows and sun roof open, all three of us enjoying the breeze! 🤣

So, here are 3 practices that I love for getting back into groove with your soul’s energy, which is light, full of life, and expansive.

1. A Big Thanks — Center in your heart. Say, Thank You to every object, person, and situation in your life. Yes, objects, too! Start with the room you’re in. (I learned this in a Shamanic retreat I went to and I couldn’t believe how fast I felt aligned in my own light!). This shifts the energy big time! Do it until you feel your heart full again.

2. Receive a Soul Hug — Ask for your soul to be here with you. Our souls are always with us but when we ask, we can feel our energy more. Ask for your soul to be right behind you. Then, ask for a soul hug. Feel the love surrounding you and filling you. You might see your soul as light or a color, or feel it as a temperature (I feel warmth). Allow your heart to open. Feel all the love pouring in! Focus your attention there. Relax. Ahh…

3. Move Your Body! Put on a song you love. Dance freely. I love to do this in my car! On nice days, I open the sun roof and the windows letting fresh air in and then I put on a song that makes me feel good (e.g. A Family Affair by Mary J Blige or Get Busy by Sean Paul), and I dance — no matter who can see! — shimmying, and bouncing, and feeling free! Being ourselves — our true essence — is a true joy!

What helps you to get back in tune with your soul?

Photo by Se. Tsuchiya on Unsplash - Showing an open door in the middle of a field of flowers.

This photo is a great example of the threshold between life and “death.”

As humans, we see the physical door and think, oh, there is separation!

But, what if there’s not?

What if we can feel something we can’t yet see?

If you’re psychic or intuitive or highly sensitive, you may know what I mean.

If you’re psychic, you probably consciously receive a lot of information and can decipher your intuition into translatable ideas and actions.

If you’re intuitive, you get “hits” or feelings that become clear later. But your abilities may not be fully conscious or intentional yet.

If you’re highly sensitive, you may pick up on changes in mood and energy.

As a psychic, I’ve been honored to connect with the souls of people and animals, whether they are in physical form or not.

Their bodies are gone but they are as alive as EVER.

When my ex-girlfriend’s mom popped in after transitioning, I was in the shower. I was not expecting a visit! I hadn’t even known she had “died.” She came in, speaking haltingly like she always did. I had forgotten how she spoke; we hadn’t spoken for 9 years and I had really missed her after my ex and I broke up!

She danced around the space as I shampooed my hair!

It was so mundanely natural and at the same time, amazing!

She said that she’d gone suddenly — there and then not there, like a quick intake of breath and exhale, and that she felt fantastic! I asked if it was because she was older when she transitioned, and she said, no. She’d been uncomfortable in her body since she was a girl. I had no idea!

Then she shared that she was worried her other daughter was going to spend her inheritance too fast! 😉

I didn’t know what to say to this but I told her I’d talk to her other daughter who is a friend.

I shared about her mom’s surprise visit and we both cried tears of joy and sadness over her passing. My friend confirmed that her mom had gone quickly and suddenly, one minute there, one minute gone — exactly as her mom had told me!

And, I did ask her about her spending habits — which was not a fun part of the conversation — but backed off when my friend got defensive… Well, it was none of my business, anyway! 🤣

Even though I know that we’re all connected and even though I’ve talked with a fair number of souls, I still am amazed by it each time.

You can know something but to experience it directly is another story!

When I think about this situation, I’m amazed by how ordinary and yet miraculous it was.

Her body was gone but the connection was still there!

And here’s the thing, as we become less attached to our egos and personalities, something gives way.

We stop over-identifying with the material world and become more open to the energetic-intuitive world.

“Mind the gap,” the Brits say about the London Underground — the gap between the doors of the train and the walkway.

But what if we were to think of this gap as a placeholder for the space that exists between what we can see and what we can’t see?

In other words, what the brain cannot physically decipher?

There’s a lot of research, especially NDE research, that consciousness or energy exists outside the brain.

But when we ask our human bodies to compute this information, it’s like we glitch.

We see this doorway, the physical, and we think that’s all there is.

What if we thought of this doorway as the gap between who we are as souls and who we are as humans?

And — often through the loss of someone or something significant — we wake up so that we can sense this gap.

This is what many of the ancient traditions like meditation, yoga, Ayahuasca Ceremonies, or Shamanic work and/or more recent practices such as intuitive energy work create.

They lessen the gap and remind us of who we truly are as souls.

We all have this ability to connect — once we lessen our attachment and start connecting with our hearts and souls.

And this changes everything!

As the author of the famous post, "Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus,” wrote, “The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor (wo)men can see.”

Maybe life and “death” are just like a train station with all of us coming and going and returning again. 💗

Photo by Fabian Jones on Unsplash

Photo by Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash

I’ll always remember the question my 5th grade teacher, Mr. Pierini asked us on our first day of class:

Who are you when no one’s around? When no one is looking?

I had a million thoughts go through my mind as I gripped a pencil with my hand sweaty from the Fresno heat and the fear of getting the answer wrong.

The thoughts all condensed down into one word: “Me.”

“I’m me.”

A bunch of sensations and images swirled — not really words.

The pleasure of reading my copy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with the cover torn off (since I’d read it so much!) inside my secret lair — (not so secret!) — my walk-in closet.

My closet held all my Roald Dahl books, 2nd favorite stuffed animals, and a horse spun from caramel enclosed in plastic, a gift from a party my parents went to — that I couldn’t bear to eat since it was so beautiful.

Riding my 10-speed fast to the bakery, out of breath, feeling the gorgeous warm wind on my face and later secretly snacking on chocolate chip cookies I hid from my mother who was strict about sugar.

Swimming in our black bottom pool, having tea parties under water, rising to smell the scent of Eucalyptus trees in the breeze and the sound of cars and mourning doves calling afternoon into evening.

Lying down with our toy poodle, Misty on a blanket watching the drift of clouds…

Who was I when I was alone?

I was free.

I couldn’t have put it into words.

But, I can now.

All of my life I worried about foot-in-the-mouth moments. And I had many of them growing up.

Call it ADHD.

Call it anxiety.

Call it reading in the dark when you can’t always sense the socially-appropriate ways of being.

And this fear of getting it wrong often prevented me from just being me.

What changed for me was realizing what I was giving up by keeping myself small and hidden.

Everything!

I’ve left the relationships where I couldn’t be myself.

I transitioned out of a career where I felt I had to hide behind a perfect mask.

And, I am more real than ever here and everywhere.

It’s vulnerable and uncertain.

But I feel more ALIVE.

The gap between who I am and what I show isn’t so wide.

Being my true self — warts and all (or Schwartz and all — since that’s my last name) - ;) , is so much better than hiding!

When I’m most me, I’m happiest.

So, I ask you: Who are you when you feel most free to be yourself? ✨

What emerges when you let go of the should’s, the fears, the doubts, and the stories about what you think people will see?

Who are you when you open up the windows and doors of your inner sanctum and allow the warm breeze in?

I’d love to hear! ♥️