loss
The Touching Tale Of The Praying Hands
In the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, Germany, lived a family with 18 children. Yes, eighteen! To put food on the table for this mob, the father and head of the household, a goldsmith by trade, worked nearly 18 hours a day at his trade, as well as any other paying job he could find in the neighborhood.
Despite their seemingly hopeless situation, Albrecht and Albert, two of the older children, had a dream. They both wanted to pursue their talent for art, but they were well aware that their father would never be financially able to send either of them to an art academy.
After many long discussions at night in their crowded bed, the two boys finally worked out a pact. They would toss a coin. The loser would go down to the nearby mines and use his earnings to support his brother, who would attend the academy.
Then, after four years, when the brother who won the coin toss finished his studies, he in turn would support the mining brother to also attend the academy – either by selling his artwork or, if necessary, by working in the mines.
They tossed a coin one Sunday morning. Albrecht Dürer won the toss and went to Nuremberg to study art. Albert went down into the dangerous mines and spent the next four years financing his brother, whose creative work at the academy was almost immediately a sensation.
Albrecht’s etchings, woodcuts, and oils were far superior to those of most of his fellow students and even his professors, and by the time he graduated he was beginning to earn substantial fees for his commissioned works.
Cutting The Toxic Cords That Bind Us
In every relationship – romantic, platonic, professional – there is a metaphysical cord of attachment that exhanges energy from one person to the other.
These energy cords can be thought of as WiFi signals, electrical circuits, or even surgical tubes that transfer mental, emotional, and spiritual energies between individuals. They are the invisible ties of love that keep us connected to our loved ones.
I remember reading an article years ago about the intense grief of famous American singer Dean Martin after the tragic death of his eldest son. His boy was a fighter pilot in the California Air National Guard and lost his life in a plane crash during a training flight in 1987.
Martin described the loss as feeling as if his “heart had been ripped out.” This vivid description is a testament to the reality of these ties that bind us. The intense pain the singer felt was essentially his heart chakra feeling ‘broken.’ The loss had a profound impact on the remainder of his life and career.
The concept of these cords may seem abstract, but their effects are very tangible. They are not just symbolic; they are very real and have a profound effect on our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being on a daily basis.
When we engage in any kind of relationship with someone, these energetic cords extend from our chakras, or energy centers, to those of the other person. While these soul-to-soul cords feed us with all the good energies that come from being connected to others, such as love, nurturing, and belonging, they can also have the opposite effect.
Coping With The Loss Of A Loved One
The loss of a loved one is one of the most profound and challenging experiences we can have. Even if we have a deep spiritual belief that our loved one has crossed over into the spirit realm free of pain and suffering, the grief of their physical absence remains.
It is natural to mourn their departure, to feel the sting of their absence in our daily lives, and to struggle with the reality of a world that feels less complete without them.
For those who have lost a parent, this grief can bring an added layer of vulnerability. Regardless of our age, the loss of a mother or father can leave us feeling untethered, with a foundation in life that once provided security and guidance now shaken. Even if we have spent years caring for them through illness or decline, their passing can still leave us feeling profoundly alone.
This transition marks a significant shift, not only in our outer reality, but also in our inner identity. And yet, in the depths of grief, there is an opportunity for deep reflection, gratitude, and connection.
One of the most powerful ways to navigate grief is to focus on gratitude for the connection you shared with your loved one. Their love, wisdom, and presence shaped you in countless ways, and that influence does not disappear with their passing. Celebrate their life with vigor. Share their stories, embrace cherished memories, and allow their laughter to echo through your heart.
Our Pets Speak To Us In This Life And Beyond
Some of the most beautiful messages I’ve received as a medium have come from departed pets.
They bring messages of love, gratitude, and reassurance that they still walk beside their human companions in spirit. They also offer wisdom and insight into their owners’ lives from their unique perspective.
It is deeply moving to experience the enduring love of a pet from the other side. The grief of losing a pet is often unacknowledged or misunderstood, yet it is real and important to process and share.
It has been several years since we said goodbye to our beloved family dog, Lucy. She passed away in 2016, just before her 17th birthday, and I can never fully express the love and joy she brought to our lives.
By sharing how she helped me communicate with her – both in life and after her passing – I hope her story can help you feel a deeper connection with your own pets on the other side.
Lucy’s story began just before Christmas of 1999. Our trip was to buy storage boxes for an upcoming move, but instead we came home with a puppy in a box! From that day on, she burst into our lives and our hearts.
For a little dog, she lived such a full life. Wherever we went, she followed – by boat, by plane, even across continents when we moved to Dubai. She reminded us that as long as we were together, life was one big tail-wagging adventure.
What To Do When A Lost Love Lingers
Many of the readings I do are about love and relationships, and a good percentage of them are about past relationships that continue to linger in the hearts and minds of some callers.
For some people there are often constant, even obsessive thoughts about a former partner, a longing for a second chance, or bitterness and regret for time and energy that now seems wasted. The longer and more intense the relationship, the more battle scars and wounds there often are.
If it was a soulmate or twinflame connection, the aftermath can be especially devastating. The relationship has ended and the connection has been severed in this lifetime. This can be very painful. You know you gave it your all. You hung in there for years, or you made heroic efforts to ensure the survival of the relationship, but it did not work out as you had hoped.
If you are highly sensitive and intuitively aware, you may still be picking up the energy of your former partner, which can be very painful, disturbing and disruptive. Unresolved energetic connections can keep you stuck in a repetitive cycle of repeating the same pattern with that person, or put you on hold, unable to move forward in peace and confidence.
I am often asked, “Is it really over?” or “Does he still have feelings for me?” Of course, the answer depends on the unique circumstances.
Lessons Learned From Evidential Mediumship
I recently completed a year-long course in evidential mediumship, and I have been reflecting on the most impactful lessons and insights from this transformative journey.
The experience deepened my understanding of the medium’s role in bringing comfort and healing to those experiencing intense grief. It was a powerful reminder of how a well-done channeled reading can uplift, comfort, and inspire clients by affirming that life and love continue beyond the veil.
Evidential mediumship is a spiritual practice in which a spiritual medium channels specific, verifiable information to prove the continued existence of a loved one after physical death.
The practice of evidential mediumship as we know it today has its roots in the spiritualist movement of the 19th century, which sought to bridge the gap between the living and the spirit world through structured communication.
But its origins go back to ancient times, as cultures around the world have always sought to connect with the spirit realm through spiritual intermediaries.
From shamans and soothayer to the seers and oracle of ancient civilizations, humanity has always reached beyond the physical realm for guidance, wisdom, and comfort. Evidential mediumship continues this timeless tradition, refined through modern practices to meet contemporary needs.
Evidential mediumship is also known as psychic mediumship or mental mediumship, which emphasizes the fact that the process involves the medium perceiving information as mental impressions in order to convey messages from spirit.
Everything Happens For A Reason
Challenges, setbacks and disappointments are inevitable in life. Sometimes it can even feel like the entire universe is conspiring against us!
But this perspective is an illusion born of our human experience. Spirit doesn’t desire our failure or suffering. Instead, it seeks to lead us to joy, abundance, and fulfillment.
Many of us, however, fall into the habit of blaming God, Spirit, the Universe, or others for the hardships we face. But to truly grow, we must change this mindset. Instead of dwelling on blame, it’s important to examine the lessons hidden in each challenge. By asking why these situations arose and what we can learn from them, we transform pain into wisdom and setbacks into stepping stones.
Consider the heartache of losing a long-term partner. You may have built a life together – marriage, children, shared dreams – only to wake up one day to abandonment. Questions arise: Why did this happen? What could I have done differently?
It’s important to realize that in most cases these events are not your fault. Free will governs each person’s choices. While her decision to leave may hurt you deeply, it is a reflection of her own path, not your worth. Self-doubt often creeps in, especially for women, as thoughts of inadequacy arise. But self-esteem cannot come from others-it must come from within.
Instead of focusing on what you could have done, consider this: their departure may have been necessary for your growth. Spirit often removes people from our lives to make room for greater blessings. In hindsight, you may realize that staying with that person would have hindered your potential or delayed the arrival of something better.