These two consultations are excerpted from my book, "Health Intuition" (foreword by Caroline Myss, PhD). Every consulation is different. The first client, Lisa, gave feedback and her physician was present as well, verifying disease, and making out a treatment plan based on the information the three of us had gathered: I have bracketed [ ] and italicized summaries of the feedback from the client and her doctor. I have left these readings in their actual form: the grammar is incorrect and the language switches from first person to third person. This is only to give you an idea of the actual flavor of an evaluation; yours will be unique to you. We do discuss physical health and then spend time delving into the emotional, mental or spiritual behind the physical, and what you can do about it.

Consultation (reading) on Lisa, age 56

Lisa, you have requested a health and life purpose reading. I will give you the life purpose information first, followed by the health. Both are important, for if one is aligned with their life purpose, one’s health is thereby more vibrant; on the other hand, if one’s health is optimum, one is more easily able to achieve their life purpose, so it is a yin/yang kind of effect.

Lisa, all of your life you have been waiting for something, it’s almost a hunger inside you. You want to be a part of something, but you’ve had trouble figuring out what it is. You like to join things — organizations, clubs, others — but haven’t found it to be quite the fulfilling thing you are looking for. Perhaps it’s because that fulfilling thing is deep inside you, and you need to bring it from the inside out in order to manifest what you’re looking for and to teach others.

Teaching is what it is all about for you. Ever since you were a little girl, you have loved and longed to teach others. I keep getting a vision of you sharing, being generous, even to the sharing of flowers it looks like. Does gardening hold a special interest for you? It seems like that would be a wonderful way for you to express your creativity. [Lisa and her physician, Dr. Still, laughed. Her home was filled with flowers and plants, and she actually took care of Dr. Still’s when he was out-of-town. She was also trained as a florist.] I actually get that the master gardener’s program would be excellent for you, if you have not already taken it. Then, you could fulfill another need — in addition to teaching — which is volunteering and making a difference; showing others how to grow their own food, flowers, gardens, information that has long ceased to be handed down from generation to generation.

It’s almost as if a club or organization has to informally form around you. I keep getting a vision of an old, wooden, beautiful spoke wheel, and you at the center of this with your arms outstretched, giving, sharing, showing your love in this way.

This vision of flowers even extends to where I see you in a flowery hat and a flower print dress, surrounding yourself with flowers, and their aromas is very important to you. I would even suggest in the winter months, when they are not so plentiful, surrounding yourself with aromatherapy in the bath would be a lovely thing for you and aid in peacefulness and relaxation.

What I keep getting over and over is that you long to be a part of the earth, its nourishment and giving to others. It’s almost as if you are an extension of the earth mother, and by doing things with and for the earth, you can most easily manifest your life purpose. It’s not so much a path of service to others, but to yourself, a path of service to the earth.

Be careful, though, not to get caught up in too many environmental causes, as they will zap the energy right out of your body. You can pick one or two, but be careful not to get overly caught up or overwrought in them, as you really take things about the earth, and her little animals, to heart. [Lisa confirmed that it was hard on her metaphorical heart to see plants and animals not treated well.]

You are such a kind and caring person. It really seems that your life purpose is to spread this love and kindness like fertilizer on the plants and those who want to learn these ways from you. I definitely see you starting a loose-knit organization where you are teaching people how to grow their own food, etc. Be careful that you don’t get too caught up in the administration/paperwork side of this, as you are pretty good at that, but that’s not your purpose. You can always get someone else to do that, your task is to teach, to share, to get your hands in the earth. I see you surrounded by children of all colors, showing them the beauty of a plant growing, and hearing their oohs and aahs in return. You may not even be doing this in your town, this actually appears to be a poorer neighborhood, or inner-city youth that you would reach. I actually know of someone who has done something somewhat like this for many years, and if this interests you, and you want to get in touch, I will give you their number.

Final Life Purpose Message: Blessings to you, blessings of the earth to you and others. Your blessing of life purpose will be a blessing of the soil, of the knowledge of the fruits of the soil given to others. It’s a very earthy life purpose that awaits you. Manifest it if you can, as it will be more fruitful than you ever dreamed possible.

Health

Lisa’s health is unpredictable. One minute up, one minute down. I see an image of her huffing and puffing and wiping her brow, what is this image bring up for her? I get a yes on tiredness, but it also seems like she is somewhat out of shape, and perhaps overweight. [Lisa was about 50 pounds overweight] It’s a catch-22, as she seems maybe too tired to exercise. Did she once have a weight or eating disorder?[Both] This factors in. Her body is off balance because it doesn’t know what to do with nutrition. This is a big deal with her. It’s like her body has been given so many mixed messages with food, that it doesn’t know what to do, how to process, even the good stuff. More greens would be of help in getting this back in balance, somewhat of a mineral deficiency, but definitely more of a vitamin deficiency. Pills don’t seem easily absorbed. Can she take vitamins in liquid form? Colloidal is one possibility, but actually, an IV push here might be of great help.[I did not know what an IV push is, as my intuition often gets terms that I do not know or understand. Lisa’s physician did know what an IV push is and agreed he would look into it as a likely idea.] I get a big “yes” on this. Just a boost to get her back in balance. I get a “yes” on acupuncture, but more of a positive “yes” on acupressure. When I picture her with needles, I get a fearful stance — what does this bring up for you? [Lisa said she was horribly afraid of needles.]That’s why the touching arts seem to be a better fit: acupressure, acu-yoga, acu-diet. This is strange. That word, acu-diet, is defined for me as acupressure while eating to aid digestion. Dr. Still, what do you think of this? Can this be accomplished? [Dr. Still is a physician who also practices acupuncture. He was excited about the possibility and agreed to look into it.]

Although nutrition is certainly the base for problems, there are other issues, too. Let’s start at the bottom of the body and work our way up:

Feet, there really appears to be a problem here with one foot, and I am having difficulty discerning which foot.[Lisa said right foot is worse, but both feet not so good.] Perhaps that’s because it is both. Specifically, I keep getting an image of some foot deformity, like women get from wearing shoes that aren’t right for their feet, or potentially some vascular circulation problems due to a gout-like condition. [Lisa said she had to wear very supportive shoes now, like Birkenstocks, and that she has gout.] This makes sense due to the nutritional problems. I get that alfalfa would help here. Also, some massage or rolfing, if she wants to commit to that. It feels like there is also stiffness in the ankles but perhaps I am misinterpreting this image — I see some one trying to rotate her feet around and around at the ankles, and them not being very open to this [Confirmed by both Lisa and her doctor].

Emotionally, I get that Lisa was abused as a child by a close family member, perhaps a brother, a male for sure. This also took the form of merciless teasing, which was very hard on her. It was a struggle, as it seems like this is not abuse, by cultural definition, but her very perception of it, and the constant nature of it, really made it abusive.[Lisa’s real name is somewhat masculine. She did suffer abuse from her father and brother, and was teased constantly about her name.] She is such a loving person, that it was hard to understand. The father seems closed off to me, I get an image of his arms across his chest — what does this bring up for you? [Lisa said that her father was like that the last time she saw him — in his casket. He was incredibly closed off to her while alive.] To me, it’s almost like he wouldn’t interfere on your behalf. Not so much physically as emotionally cold. In order for the feet and legs to have improved health, one of the shifts she can make is to go back and forgive those instances, whenever they come up, each situation, ask for help and she’ll get it, to let it go. The purpose of this abuse was in giving her a thicker skin, which she would need, in the business and/or family world. Because she is so loving, it’s almost like she had to be overexposed in order to develop this skin. This is also why I think the extra weight is there, more like padding. The image I received of her was like she was in a suit, like the Stay-Puff Marshmallow man, and she was ready to burst forth, unzipping the suit, and emerging, like Wonder Woman! [Lisa liked this image.]

Legs seem bloated, is their water retention going on here? Again, more of this padding. It doesn’t feel like there is good circulation throughout the lower extremities. Again, it’s almost as if she is willing the “blood” to circulate, as blood family was hard for her to deal with. Perhaps a more positive picture is to replace it with her current family or friends in her image and let the “new blood family flow freely”. Almost seems as if the gait is stilted, again, same thing — family of origin. [Confirmed.]

Knees feel creaky, again same thing. One hip is lower than the other. I get an image of her carrying a child on one hip? What does this bring up for you? Youngster caring for the younger? It feels like a hard-working childhood. [This was confirmed by both Lisa and her doctor.] Female organs, seems like she is mostly past menopause, as it is dormant in there. Another good reason to creatively express her energy, to keep that center alive and flowing with the crone instead of needing to be the fertility goddess with her womb, she can be her through her gardening expression.

Interesting image here: I keep getting an image of a cord tightly wrapping around and around her waist, constricting it — what image does this bring up for you? [Trouble with getting enough breath and also wanting to lose weight.]

Liver appears to be enlarged — toxicity from bingeing and purging. Maybe not even with food, but with life threats — what does this mean to her? [She feels threatened all of the time. Can’t even make friends aside from her husband. She is always feeling sick from the threat of everyday living. She takes it all in, and then blows up, like a volcano — very stressful.]]

Kidneys see to be a little dark, not to vibrant. Again, the waterways really seem like they aren’t circulating well. Family stuff, as we discussed before.

There seems to be a lot of stuff going on with the third chakra organs, area of the solar plexus: also spleen looks enlarged, and not from a Chinese medicine point of view. Pancreas looks crusty like mud after a big rain and dried in the sun. Diabetes? [The physician and she had suspected this.] The impression I get is that although you are now in a loving and positive relationship, it wasn’t always so. And, you draw a great deal of energy and strength from others opinions of you. Despite your thick skin, you are sometimes just getting an “arrow to the gut” that strikes into these organs and really hurts you. You take things very personally, because you are so caring of a person. What to do, what to do? Well, what you can do is stop smoking [It wasn’t smoking, it was her work. She inhaled a lot of carbon monoxide at her job, which she hated, running an automotive repair shop.] — give up addictions and crutches. Another thing you an do is to find your own spiritual side, and not rely on organized religion to give you everything in terms of a divine spiritual life and connection. Actually, if you fill yourself up with divine presence, you will find yourself less and less likely to think of what others are thinking of you, and when they try to zing you, the arrow will bounce off harmlessly. It’s not a thicker even skin you need, it’s an internal radiance, like a force field, that will protect and start to heal you. Nice image!

Heart area, I really get you heaving for breath — what is going on here? I actually get that you have trouble taking in breath due to altitude? It’s almost as if the chemical reaction between water and oxygen in your body that needs to happen, can’t, because your water is so bound up in your tissues, skin tissues especially. It’s not circulating either. If I had to pick one word for problems in you, it’s circulation. [Again, seems to be the auto repair shop environment where she works.] When I ask what you can do to change this, I get an image of you unzipping and stepping out of your current body, like it was a padded suit you wore over your new body, breaking free of the bonds of the old body. You can do this by stepping up lightly your exercise, but more important focusing on the inner you, the one that is bursting, dying to come out. This inner you is a loving person who can take and receive love and nourishment from those around her, including her nutritional need for food. She can love and be loved, nourish and be nourished, and there is an even exchange going on in her life, instead of her always giving and being AFRAID to take. You have a lovely, peaceful blue energy about you, and you won’t lose this, but you will be more active and dynamic in your energy.

Neck pain around C7, behind the will chakra center. [Confirmed by physician.] I get a coughing motion, too. The will seems to be supplanted (interesting choice of words) by letting others control and choose for you, instead of you manifesting what you want. Yes, it can be easier, in the short run, but in the long run, it just leaves you feel resigned, see big sigh.[Confirmed.]

Clicking jaw. Funky teeth — dentures?[No to dentures, yes to jaw.] I get a big image of you swallowing your words — what is this? And them grating as they go down your throat, scraping your esophagus, and lying in your belly, very hard to digest. This is another part of the digestion puzzle. Next time you eat your words, remember that doesn’t leave room for the nourishment and food you need in your belly!

Nose, see sneezing, allergies? Hay fever can be helped through elimination of certain food allergens in your diet. Would she be willing to go on some sort of an allergy-reduction diet? Wheat doesn’t feel too bad, corn is big, dairy is huge, would be my guess. Citrus is a little too acidic for her at this point in life. Some kind of sinus problems, at least. [Correct.]

When I look at your intellectual and intuition center, they are a big, bright purple/lavender flower. LOVELY! You are so smart, and actually very intuitive, although you like to shut that out, because since you already know a lot about people through your intelligence, you don’t know what you’d do with all that extra information that might create more problems. OOOH! But sometimes, you let the intuition flow. It’s kind of a start/stop pinwheel action. It seems like you need to get in the flow all the time and learn not to be afraid of it. Psychic Pathway[i] would be an excellent books for you.

Your hair seems kind of thin to me — and dry skin, too. [Yes.] Okay, here’s the scoop: your relationship with the divine is not very one-on-one, it’s very organization-related. I see you in church clapping your hands and singing and enjoying yourself.[Lisa laughed long and hard. I used the expression “Holy roller” to describe what I was seeing. A term I learned growing up, and I mean it in the most positive way: it’s someone who really gets into gospel music and moves, sings, and dances along. She said she was so attracted to gospel music that in the past week she had bought several compact discs.] In reality, though, it seems like you don’t have to stop enjoying that, you can still go, but you need to do individual prayer, meditation, whatever, all the time throughout the day. Let it be a natural part of your life. Accessing your intuition is a natural part of opening this up, too, these two areas can help each other. Then, this divine energy connection can just flow down into your body and give you the power to make the changes
you want.

Other things I might have missed: feels like back pain behind kidneys, feels like hands are stiff and in pain, see her rubbing them — back stuff relates to kidney/plexus as we discussed earlier. Hands, I see being helped by working more in the earth, changing diet, eating more greens. [Accurate.]

Final message: Lisa, you are a beautiful and worthwhile soul who is perched on a pinnacle of transformation for yourself. I get an image of you standing at a crossroads, not knowing which way to go [Although her marriage was generally solid, she was on shaky ground when it came to learning to set boundaries with her husband. He liked to tell her what to do. After decades of marriage, she was starting to say “no.”] You have been given some suggestions about things you can choose, ways you can go, what you can look toward, but in the end, it is up to you, and your intuition, to choose and decide what’s right for you. No one else can, or should, make these decisions for you. And, making these decisions will leave you feeling self-satisfied. [Image of her smiling, hands on her hips, proudly and happily surveying her garden and the garden of life.]

Lisa and Dr. Still declared the reading to be 98 percent accurate. Remember, I used only the name and age to tune in; the rest of the information comes intuitively.

Each consultations is different. Certainly, there are similarities throughout the readings I do — I concentrate on things that are important to me — kindness, practicality, and compassion, for example. I mold my reading technique to suit the client. After all, the reading is for them, not me. One client may want guidance to treatment modalities or practitioners, another may have the resources to deal with only a few issues, and yet another may be ready to dig deeply into pain and trauma.

Lisa’s reading happened early in my career. The following is an excerpt from another reading, with a different flavor, conducted later in my career. You can see how my style has evolved, but also how each client’s reading is different. When I was writing this book, I called my clients to see if I could include them and their readings (I practice strict confidentiality and change names and other identifying information). At that time I asked Amanita for more feedback on the accuracy of the reading. Some of her comments are included in the bracketed notes in this excerpted reading.

Consultation (reading) on Amanita, age 39

Amanita, you beautiful, beautiful being, much have you suffered, looking everywhere for answers and an end to your suffering. Let’s look and see if we can given you some insights into this terrible ordeal and some requirements for positive shift and changes: [She’s been ill since 1991, diagnosed in 1998.]

Feet: I see you moving them very gingerly: Amanita’s feet are telling her be careful where you move, walk, stop, care. Be careful where you go or look, for if you are not careful, you could be hurt, this stems from age 17, Amanita was betrayed by her father [Amanita says he was explosive and controlling. She had been away from home for a year and came back to live there at 17. This time frame really resonates for her. She felt like she was trapped, like there was no way out. She also realized that she was unable to get unconditional love as a child or as an adult. This time cemented for her the pattern of tip-toeing around, so as to avoid upsetting others. She said this time at home showed her she didn’t matter and it was all about “doing the dance” making herself for other people, instead of being her real self. Amanita’s Dad was having an affair with her mom’s friend. Amanita felt betrayed because there was no trust or support for her.This pattern carried on to her adult life as a desire to be perfect.] Her reasoning is that if you are perfect, there is no reason for someone to try to hurt you. Amanita’s inability to look, based on this past trauma, is what keeps her from seeing clear, fully, completely, she can’t see the “whole truth and nothing but the truth” because she is AFRAID. How to shift this. Psychotherapy, hypnotic regression, with a competent, certified therapist, need to release this wound completely before going on. Someone who has body-mind therapy background. [Eight months later, she is working with a body-mind therapist.]

Almost a grayness to the lower leg area, something I have seen in the past in MS patients, but different, this is not MS, but it feel feels like there is a gradual shutting down of the nerve area, nerve pathways, messages can no longer travel at the speed they once do — have you noticed a tendency to shuffle? Image of shuffle, shoulders down, head down. [Amanita states she been diagnosed with Lyme disease. According to her, it is often misdiagnosed as M.S. It is a neurological disease. She has nerve weakness in legs.]

Amanita has no self esteem, she feels like loving herself would be a sin, would be incomprehensible. [Eight months later, after psychotherapy she is able to hear the negative self-talk she sends to herself, i.e, “You’re so stupid.” At the initial time of the reading, she was not conscious of this behavior, but now realizes it was always present.]

How to shift this? Amanita, you are a loving person, you can see that you love others, how would you feel if they rejected it at every turn? That’s how you feel, how your body feels, you need to think about that to help you open up to receive your own love and loving. If you can’t love yourself, first, last, best and always, who will? [Eight months later, working on this in psychotherapy, she is learning to forgive the “Why I can’t be perfect” imprinted by her father, family situation and her own choices. She has carried this perfection pattern into her adulthood. She feels that trying harder, all the time, for so long has tired her out.] It’s the ultimate self responsibility, and one that you shirk from (see shirking/cringing almost away) the reason you do this is that if you become strong, you are worried that it will be easier for those to knock you down. [Amanita is very considerate of others. She wants people to like her. This is very important and she made herself who she needed to be in order for this to happen. I told her her reasoning was that, “if people like me, they won’t hurt me.” She agreed.] It’s almost as if you want to be invisible, don’t want to be seen. Again, deep psychotherapy, as these are big deep wounds. Need to start there before any other kind of therapy is effective.

Hips, butt, see your hands back of butt moving hips a little side to side almost a weight shift? What is this? [Pain in hips, knees and joints.]

Amanita wants to have a baby, but can’t seem to manifest. [She lost a baby in ’92 and wants to have one]. Amanita, until you learn to love yourself fully and completely, take that self-responsibility of love to you first, things like that can’t seem to happen for you. It’s about reclaiming your own babyhood, childhood, teenager-hood, young adulthood, and most important, the self. [She says this makes all the sense in the world.]

Start with painting, too, start to express without self criticism, release the voices in the head through self-forgiveness, quiet time, alone, in a sunny spot, creating, very therapeutic, art therapy, if you’d like to call it that. [Eight months later, she says she felt creatively “dead” at the time of the reading. Not enough energy to pursue. Since the reading, she has made some time, and tried painting which led to pottery. She finds this a real lesson in not becoming attached, as her some of her art has blown up in the kiln. Her pottery is a metaphor for many things in her life.]

Back: lower back, hand there pain, crying. [Severe, not constant, low back, sacrum.] Amanita is worried about money, and worries about other things, nonstop worrier.[Yes. Not nit-picky, more of a “what if…?”] “Energy of Money” a great tape to address these two areas. Feels like she might have been in some kind of human traction trying to straighten this out?[Low back put into traction by chiropractor.] Needs a more gentle cranial sacral approach. Will help female area too release and unblock, along with art therapy. [Eight months later, she feels this is helping her maintain, if not improve.]

Pancreas, dry, wilting—how’s your blood sugar? [Tests are fine, but feels like it is stressed. She says Lyme can affect blood sugar.] It’s that issue of responsibility to self. This is one of the few things you’ve ever done for yourself (this reading), entirely for you, more of that energy that idea behind your motivations. Who am I doing this for? Me? Should I feel guilty, no? What if I do, so what? That’s the kind of place to cultivate and be. Watch carbohydrates, need to lower the quick ones to help here [she says carbos affect her blood sugar], shots to help this. [She has an allergy to nightshades, potatoes might be a possibility.]

Liver, looks like it’s ready to explode with fear, get in with a Chinese medical doctor right away to balance liver/kidney, lung/skin, organs [Accupuncturist says liver/kidney main focal point, along with spleen/pancreas. Her western medical doctor says that her liver has been affected by prescription drugs.] . Liver warehouse holds on all the fear, kidneys the unspoken anger at the father an and the self and all men; age 22? [This is right after a “honeymoon” period with new boyfriend. She says things got “sticky” and she felt, “Wait a minute, I’m important. What I want to do is important, too.” She is still working through this, as she married this man.]

Lungs, covering the heart, trying to avoid trouble heartache being seen, you are trying to make yourself scarce (and scared is where you live), therefore scarcity of breath ensues. [Shallow breath, needs to learn how to take in a complete breath.]

And skin: see itching? Really feels like you’re trying to scratch off the layers and trying to scratch off what you don’t like about yourself. [She has a rash on her face.] Wouldn’t it be easier to accept and then go deep? For without acceptance, you can’t see clearly where to go, what to work on, what there is to love. [Eight months later, a work in progress. She says, “It has come to me that we are larger than our accomplishments.”]

And there is a lot: A gentle sense of humor and love, a caring touch—you have the most wonderful touch — a kind brain, not one that seeks to make others feel bad for being who they are, a compassionate heart, a loving manner, a quiet mind, you are the best! Amanita, believe it! I do, you can to! There is so much to discover about yourself, like looking at a beautiful flower on a spring day, a first spring day of a year, that is the kind of beauty that is held within you. [She is realizing she’s still her, despite the sickness. Again she states, “It’s a work in progress.”]

Shoulders, spoke about earlier, but seems like there is almost a spreading in the back, so over rounded and shouldered with burden and blame, self-blame is the name of the game. [She says her body is out of proportion, large chest that rounds shoulders.] You blame yourself for everything. [She had to repeat kindergarten.] There is not faith in another higher power or source that this is happening as it should? [Eight months later she intellectually can grasp this concept. She believes that the reading planted seeds within her.] Why can’t you believe it? Because if you did , you’d have to believe your life is this way for a reason. It is. Amanita you are like a guardian angel in training and if you can’t learn to guard the self and cooperate with that mind set, how will you get there? That is the lesson. [I originally did not want to use the term “guardian angel in training with her” as I have heard Caroline Myss use this term, and wanted to make sure it was my intuition, not some other source that was saying this. Amanita found this one of the most memorable phrases of the reading, and that it makes sense in kind of a “how can you love anyone if you can’t love yourself?” way. This concept resonates with her.]

I see the neck as a hand twisting on it almost like an Indian rope burn on the back, and twisting to the right, always looking over your shoulder. [She says, “It feels like there are ‘bombs’ dropping everywhere. Always looking over my shoulder to prepare.” Neck pain and problems are one of the centers of pain.] Learn to look straight ahead, Meditation to calm and quiet the mind/fear, and working with the intuition. Don’t be afraid, gently, Sonia Choquette’s Psychic Pathway [She had it sitting by her bed at the time of the reading, unread, an interesting synchronicity.] a godsend. Get Jack Kornfield’s “Inner Art of Meditation” audiotape. [Eight months later, she “loves” Jack Kornfield, and meditates three times a week.]

See you scratching your face [Rash from Lyme disease.]. So much self-hatred. Amanita, you are not alone. There are those that love you. Learn to look at one terrific thing about yourself to love each day and focus on that. [Eight months later, she says, this is about “learning to say I’m OK, look inside, not outside the self.”] See opening of head into brain— chemical balance is off, may need medication to correct this imbalance. Not depression but suicidal, needs a blood test to determine if brain chemistry is off to help correct imbalance. You are not your brain. It is this chemical imbalance, not you, that makes you suicidal. [Amanita says it is the “bug” that is Lyme disease — not depression — that makes her suicidal. It’s not really her, her brain is not under her control in this area. It’s like taking a poison or hallucinogen, but that it is the Lyme. She broke down in tears when I validated this for her as she feels very few people understand this. ] Also St. John’s Wort may be of help.

Amanita, beautiful being, learn to see the beauty inside and out of you, love thyself, like you love no other. Receive the love that you so readily give to others, don't turn away, you are worth loving and living, you are beautiful, smart, straight, meaning see you straightened up; and single, meaning single-minded in your focus toward faith and love in the self. Amanita, you are all of these things and more, believe and love the self. That is all. That is everything. Bless you.