What to Expect from a Mediumship Reading

Mary Ellen Hettinger

2 years ago

What to Expect from a Mediumship Reading

Our late loved ones want to connect with us, and are likely already doing so—especially in time of crisis or need. But we may not be aware of it (see the blog post on Signs). That’s where evidential mediumship comes in. My job is to provide evidence, through communicating with the “other side,” of life and love after death.

Although there’s no guarantee you’ll reach the spirit you want to, when you visit a medium or connect by phone, think about who you’d like to hear from ahead of time. When done with love and respect, this helps raise your vibration, which brings loved ones closer.

You’ll be surprised how quickly the reading goes by! Taking notes can be distracting, so I suggest clients record the session on their phone.

Mediums versus psychics

To establish a connection, a medium typically meditates beforehand and asks their spirit guides and angels to help them “bring through” the appropriate spirits. (Sometimes a medium may be aware of a presence earlier hovering around. Then during a reading later that day there is an “Aha!” moment—this is the mother of their sitter, who has been eagerly waiting to connect.)

The person seeking the psychic or mediumship reading is the sitter; the medium is the reader, that is, he or she relays messages from Spirit, or “reads” (interprets) the cards, as in a psychic reading.

How does this work? Is the medium talking to the dead, using intuition, channeling someone? The answer is yes—there may be several forces at work. (By the way, not all psychics are mediums, but all mediums are also psychics.)

As the reader gives you information, answer “Yes,” No,” “I don’t know,” or, “I wouldn’t know.” The latter phrase would be for something that may have happened when you were very young, for example. Make note and ask someone who might know later.

How do we do it? Using the “clairs”

As you might guess, clair means clear. Clairvoyant means clear seeing: “I see a woman wearing a business suit,” or “This man is wearing a sweater vest and well-worn corduroys.”

Sometimes a medium just “knows” something, for example, has a premonition, an intuition or gut feeling. This is claircognizance.

Clairsentience is feeling things: a tight chest if someone’s died of a heart attack; a sudden headache that might signify a brain aneurysm; a jolting sensation of a high-impact crash. This can go along with being an empath, someone who feels others’ pain and emotions. I sometimes feel myself rocking back and forth, or toying with my hair in a way that turns out to be significant.

Someone who is clairaudient may hear a song, accent, or factory or train whistle. My first mediumship teacher hears Neil Young’s “The Needle and the Damage Done” when someone died by overdose.

“I smell woodsmoke” or “She wore Chanel No. 5” are clairalience (smelling) clues, while tasting a distinctive spice or food indicates clairgustance (tasting). Although one clair is typically stronger than others, most mediums connect with the afterlife through a few.

All the feels

The messages that come through may be very meaningful and poignant, leaving the sitter feeling comforted knowing that their husband or parent in spirit is thinking of them.

You may be surprised to hear that your godmother knows you have a new baby, and you’ve named her after her, for example.

But as on earth, people’s unique personalities shine through and some messages are silly and playful, or bossy. I found myself shaking my finger semi-sternly at one sitter; her mother wanted her to “Lighten up! Don’t take things so seriously.”

Sometimes messages are what I call “way homers,” that is, you don’t get it until you’re on the way home, or days or weeks later.

‘Spirit doesn’t waste a thought’

I did a reading for a man and the last thing I got from his late father was “62.” Just the numerals. They didn’t mean anything to the sitter at the time. But mediums have a saying: “Spirit doesn’t waste a thought.” I suggested he look into it.

It turned out “62” referred to a motorcycle his dad had been restoring that he’d promised to his son. Due to dementia, the father didn’t follow through and the bike was lost. The sitter thought the motorcycle was of 1950’s vintage, but when he looked it up after the reading, he discovered that it was a 1962 Honda.

This was evidence that his father knew he’d disappointed his son and, I believe, an apology. In the afterlife, there is no dementia.