I Believe in Love
I believe in love, that it is the source of miracles and the place where we meet God in our own hearts. God is very real to me, yet I do not adhere to any one religion. Even as a young child, I knew God to be a universal energy of love, belonging to everyone here on earth. The only requirement for conversing with God is to ask. If you can open your heart, you will get a faster answer, but even if you are in a bad mood, the universe will try to bring love to you anyway that it can.
Baptized as an infant in the Presbyterian Church, I grew up in a loving family who allowed me to visit the churches of my friends and make up my own mind. I was also lucky to have elders in my family who studied metaphysics, and shared inspirational ideas about how we co-create our world with the universe of Love. I read books such as the Seth series by Jane Roberts, and I still collect inspirational wisdom, such as the currently popular DVD, The Secret.
Several times in my life I felt as though I was a “sort of minister” by nature. I was often aware that I was validating others’ experience, “being a listener” and sharing spiritual energy with people who found me through my normal activities … yet I remained unwilling to join any church as an adult. I have attended local churches though and consider them major contributors to my spiritual experience, particularly the Religious Science of Mind church, Unity Church and Unitarian Church.
I finally became ordained with the Order of Melchizedek, Sanctuary of the Beloved. This is a church for what I personally like to call “maverick priests” like myself. We may or may not have organized churches on our own, and some of us do not even tell others we are ordained. What we do is to to serve God, the Universe’s love through whatever career or lifestyle vehicle we are already in. Our primary instructions are to keep our teachings of Universal Love simple and sacred, and I like that.
I am a Psychic and an Astrologer
Around here in East Tennessee, if I say that I am “an intuitive astrologer” I often hear, “What’s that?”
Well, I use the word “intuitive” because I dislike the term “psychic” and all the assumptions that people seem to have about it. So let me explain what that part means to me first.
I have always been “extra sensitive” and able to perceive energies that others do not notice. Primarily I soak up peoples’ feelings without even trying to, and for much of my life that was more of a problem than an asset. I had to learn ways to buffer myself. As an adult I learned that this trait is called clairsentience, and I now have more mastery over when and how I allow this to occur. In my work I prefer to talk on the phone because the distance gives me greater objectivity. In my public and social life, I do exercises to “turn down” the intuition, so that I can just “hang out” and be normal!
My other intuitive skill is my ability to sense colors around people. When I continue to focus on the color in someone’s field, I get “story visions” that illustrate important truths. These truths tend to be the kind that are internal and of the spirit. They often explain “why” something is happening (or not) and what needs to be altered to get the energy moving or harmonious again. I do also get concrete information at times (names, dates, yes or no if this will happen, etc.) but these details are rarely as strong or consistent for me as the symbolic, spiritual messages. I am able to see into physical bodies with relative ease, as well as into the motivations and hearts of humans and animals. Past life information is common in my readings.
The reason that I prefer to be called an intuitive or an energy healer (rather than psychic) is because my abilities are sharpest when they are used as part of a session focused on self-awareness, self-healing, and problem solving in relationships, career and health issues.
I have been an energy healer since childhood, though I had no idea what that was back then! I always observed that my mind could “move energy” sometimes though, and as I grew up I was fascinated with all things to do with psychology, metaphysics, and mind-over-matter things. Once I began to study energy healing, I realized that I had been using it all my life. Much of my studies have been independent, such as reading and practicing Barbara Brennan's "Hands of Light," but I am also certified and attuned as a Level Three Reiki Master. I use this in my work primarily to educate clients. That is, I love to share the visions I get with you, so that you can use your mind to move the energy in your own life.
Now for the astrology part! I began studying astrology at the age of 13 because I just knew there was more to my personality than my sun sign (Capricorn) depicted. I ordered a chart and discovered that, sure enough, I have the moon in Pisces (psychic) and a lot of personal planets in fire signs and houses (creative), not to mention a very strong connection with the planet Uranus and Pluto (emotional depth and astrology) I have been a devotee of this complicated, psychological assessment art ever since.
My life course has led me to “need” my intuition in situations where I did not have time to do lengthy analysis or assessment. Thus I usually get “intuitions” first, but I love to back it up with what (to me) is more factual data from the astrology charts. I also use my clinical training to simply ask the right questions of a client, to help both of us make the best use of our time in finding helpful answers.
I Have a Conservative Background
My family is a conservative bunch, though they tolerate my mystical-ness because they love me. Besides, when no one is looking, they ask for chart readings on their birthdays!
I majored in psychology in undergraduate school, learning lots of theories about how people think and how the mind works. Then I spent the next decade working as a writer and photographer to satisfy my creative side. I returned for a master’s degree in therapeutic recreation. Recreational therapists use a combination of counseling, teaching, and hands-on practice with clients to help them find activities that bring a sense of joy and balance to life, and create a healing influence on whatever dis-ease process is going on. With my master’s degree in tow, I worked for the next ten years in psychiatric hospitals with patients of all ages, from 5 to 95. I also taught stress management and other wellness classes to community and business groups during this time.
I enjoyed this work immensely and found it meaningful until I had my mid-life slump. I just ran out of steam and didn’t want to play anymore. The universe conveniently downsized my job at the hospital, and made it difficult to find any new ones in my area. So I wondered what to do next? A friend suggested I do astrology readings for money, since I had long done them "just for fun." What a thought! At first, I tossed that aside as a joke...
Soon after that, I ran across a job opening for a phone psychic. I had a “knowing” that I could actually do that if I focused on colors that came up around callers. No one could have been more surprised than me, for though I have always been sensitive, I did not at this time know how to "turn it on" at will. A bit of experimenting on friends gave me enough confidence to apply to this job, and it became the seed experience that eventually led to my starting Katsong.com. And that is how a conservative girl became an intuitive reader!
I am a Writer, Artist and Crafter
As mentioned, I worked professionally as a journalist and photographer earlier in my life. I have always enjoyed "playing" with my visions in a variety of formats, including poetry, fiction, art, and simple crafts made from humble resources (like leaf dolls from the yard!) All of the artwork and photography on this site are mine (except for the wallpaper and page designs) and now I will have a place for you to look at and even purchase some of my creative expressions! You can check it out by clicking on the CafePress Banner to the left.
