My First Foray Into Ribbon Psychometry

Like “riding a bicycle,” spiritual knowledge and skills, once learned, are never lost or forgotten. Even if you haven’t practiced or used a certain skill for a long time, you can always quickly pick it up again because it is stored in your soul memory.

There is a certain degree of permanence in spiritual growth and learning. Spiritual learning is very different from the acquisition of academic knowledge or vocational skills. Soul growth and spiritual development flows from deeply personal experiences, profound moments of insight, and personal transformations that forever change our soul essence at a fundamental level.

Our soul memory is essentially the memory bank of our higher self. It is like stored layers of enlightenment or the akashic records that preserve all of our acquired spiritual wisdom and abilities, making them readily accessible  after periods or even lifetimes of non-use or neglect.

I was reminded of this fact at a recent mediumship event I attended where a medium demonstrated some of the psychic techniques and methods she had relied on in her own psychic development journey.

Decades ago, I attended a psychic development course at the Arthur Findlay College of Spiritualism and Psychic Sciences in Essex, England. During the course we did a fun exercise in which we practiced “ribbon psychometry.”

Objects and personal belongings hold energy and stories that, if listened to, can guide us to deeper understandings and sometimes even solve mysteries ~ Pam Coronado

Psychometry is the psychic practice of reading or channeling information through psychic touch, also known as “clairtangency.” Clairtangency is a form of extrasensory perception in which practitioners perceive psychic impressions from an object they are touching or holding. The practice was first popularized in the 1840s by Joseph Buchanan, an American professor of physiology who coined the term “psychometry” and conducted experiments to demonstrate the phenomenon.

Leonora Piper, one of the most well-regarded psychic mediums of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was known for her remarkable psychometric abilities, which she demonstrated to many researchers of her time. Her ability to perceive detailed information about the owner of an object simply by holding it contributed significantly to the exploration and modern understanding of psychometry and psychic phenomena.

We can gather a lot of psychic information by touching or holding everyday objects, especially things like jewelry and clothing that still carry the energy imprint of their owner, both living and deceased.  I have even witnessed information given to a grieving pet owner when a medium held the collar and toys of their deceased dog.

Ribbon psychometry is a variation of this practice where the psychometric object (also known as the link object) is a ribbon. It is a popular exercise often done in mediumship workshops and psychic development classes. Participants are asked to “read” a ribbon that has been held, worn or owned by another person. They then attempt to perceive psychic impressions about the person’s life experiences, history, personality, and emotions based solely on holding the ribbon.

The use of ribbons in readings may have been inspired by Celtic esotericism. Ribbons have traditionally been used in pagan rituals and ceremonies, and are found in various contemporary Wiccan and Neopagan practices. The use of ribbons in these contexts carries symbolic meanings and is often part of ritualistic practices intended to manifest intentions, bind unwanted energies, or celebrate connections with the natural world, the divine, and others. In modern Pagan practices, ribbons are used in a variety of ways, including maypole dancing, handfasting ceremonies, wishing trees, and rituals intended to protect, heal, or banish negative energies.

I remember having great fun doing a ribbon reading for the first time at Arthur Findlay College all those years ago. At last week’s psychic event we did a similar exercise, but with colored strips of paper. It brought back wonderful memories. I remember our mentor at the college placing a large bundle of many colored ribbons in the center of the circle of students. We each took our turn to pick a ribbon from the colorful pile and return to our seats. We were encouraged to stroke the ribbon for several minutes to allow the material to absorb our energy signature.

Objects carry with them a light as distinct to us as the sunlight is to you. The instant you hand us an object, that instant we get an impression of its owner, whether the present or the past owner and often both ~ Leonora Piper

Next, we were paired with a classmate to exchange and read each other’s ribbons. I remember being paired with an older Welsh gentleman. He seemed to be as nervous a newbie as I was at the time, but the details about me and my life that he was able to channel from that ribbon were amazing. He seemed pleasantly surprised, even a little shocked, when I told him he was spot on!

Then it was my turn to read for him, and by now I realized he was going to be a tough act to follow! But I calmed myself and used the techniques we were taught to tap into our psychic awareness and get our analytical left brain out of the way.

I don’t remember much of what I told him in the reading, but I do remember my first impressions were that he had driven a green car from home very early that morning to attend the class. I also remember telling him that it looked to me like some kind of SUV, like a Land Rover or Range Rover. I also felt that he might be an off-road enthusiast. I also remember feeling the strong emotional connection he had with his daughter and that she was interested in energy healing.

I was relieved when the reading was finally over and remember feeling a little silly talking about vehicles I knew nothing about! However, he did confirm that he did drive a short wheelbase Land Rover (which I had to ask him to explain to me). He also confirmed that his daughter was studying Reiki at the time and that they were very close indeed.

The recent mediumship event and the subsequent memory of this particular experience has now inspired me to revisit the art of psychometry and possibly start practicing it again. I remember that we were taught that the best way to start is with metal objects because they hold energy well. This could be jewelry, keys, or watches that have been used or worn by a person a lot. So, I think that will be my next step in getting “back on the bike.”

While there is a certain permanence to our spiritual learning and skill development, this is not to say that some maintenance is not necessary. Just as a bicycle may need tuning after years of disuse, we need to engage with spiritual practices in order to fully reactivate and embody their spiritual insights and skills. But it is good to be reminded that nothing we learn spiritually is ever lost or in vain.