People ask me what the difference is between a channeling circle and a seance or a psychic reading. It may seem like a matter of semantics to some, but I find the differences to be important. Please bear in mind that the distinctions outlined here may differ greatly from others’ definitions. It is always important to define your terms.

• In a seance, the medium will bring through various persons, who are no longer living in body, to give messages for individuals who are present. The medium is generally not aquainted or familiar with the beings they are working with.
• In a psychic reading, the reader will frequently provide what I call translation services between non-corporal beings (guides, ancestors, spiritual teachers, angels, far) and the client. This is not the only tool a reader will use; they may also employ divination tools, telemetry, aura readings, their own intuition, and more.
• In a channeling circle, the channel will work with spiritual guides with whom they have developed a formal connection. The channel may have information from those guides for the group and/or individuals; they usually bring their guide into their own form, to speak through them, but sometimes it’s more like the translation services of a reader. A channel’s awareness of what is going on during a session, and their ability to recall details afterwards, will vary depending on training, style, depth of their trance, and so forth.

The form of channeling in which I was trained, and which I teach to others, is very structured. Many people drawn to this work have also channeled in other lifetimes, sometimes with unpleasant results. This creates undefined trauma around the practice that has to be brought into the light and processed. When a person with this challenge is given a solid structure in which to practice, they are able to move past traumatic fear more easily, and they learn confidence, which then helps them process past life experiences related to channeling.

I have found it much more comfortable to create a familiarity with the guides I channel before ever bringing them through. I also like to get to know people before inviting them into my home, let alone my bedroom. I am a big fan of boundaries, and that doesn’t change when someone doesn’t have a body. I’ll do translation services between a client and their guides, but only pre-authorized folks get to come into my personal space.

The situation at hand will dictate how far out of my body I will go, and how much of myself I take with me. In order for Spirit to use my body, I have to make space for them; you can’t drive a car very well with two people in the driver’s seat. I can mostly stay, but withdraw into the background, much like moving to the backseat. I can mostly leave my body (there is always going to be a small part of me that stays behind and holds space) yet stay in the room. This happens if I’m super curious about whatever’s going on in the circle or with current events. I have also been known to toodle off to parts unknown and leave my guide to fend for themselves. I usually need to be pretty comfortable with the situation in order to do that.

Depending on how much I am consciously paying attention to the goings on, I may remember what was said. I usually recommend people ask their clarification questions of my guides, but if they have to ask me, doing it in the first 15 minutes after I return is probably a good idea. I will frequently record my sessions for exactly this reason.

We are in that time of year when the veil is thinning (culminating on 11/7, astrological Samhain). That makes it easier to access more information. If you have a group of folks who would like to get together for a channeling circle, feel free to contact me to schedule something. Prices are $33 per person, 6 person minimum (12 maximum).