For Puck's Sake
Often when we start opening to our psychic ability we’re eager and excited to utilize our new skills. However, one of my biggest pet-peeves are those who give unsolicited psychic guidance, insight, or interpretations. In the witchcraft community I have found more than other spiritual communities that it’s considered bad form and improper etiquette to give someone a reading on the spot, tell them what your guides, ancestors, or spirits are saying about them, interpret their dreams or omens if they did not explicitly ask you and you don’t have permission.
In witchcraft we try to embrace sovereignty and honor the sovereignty of other individuals – including their own psychic prowess. This also pertains to having a dream, vision, or whatever about the individual. If you do not have their consent to share – just don’t.
However, this isn’t just something that beginners do. Often this can be due to spiritual narcissism, feeling that you have the insight that they need to know that they have. This intersects with other topics I’ve written for in the past, such as witchsplaining and healing without consent. Not only is this absolutely an issue of consent, but it is also disempowering.
Though you may be completely right about the information you’re receiving, it may not be your information to give them. Perhaps the person needs to go through whatever they are going through until they either solve the issue on their own or get to the point of asking. Another thing to consider is that some people are battling with learning how to ask for the things they need. So in both circumstances you’re disempowering their own journey.
So how do you not be that person who is giving unsolicited psychic information? Simple. If you are receiving something that you really feel that someone needs to know or that you think would be helpful – ask them if you can. For example, “I had a dream about you last night, would you be interested in hearing it?” or “Are you familiar with the symbolism of that omen you received? Would you be interested in hearing what it means to me?” or in some cases, such as when I got a psychic hit live on a podcast, simply asking something along the lines of “Is it okay if I share with you the psychic insight that I’m receiving?”
The key with consent is to accept their answer – even if it’s “no” and not taking that answer personally.
paganism
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