Are writers a type of medium?

Posted by Jessica Jewett 2 Comments »

WritingI had a little discussion about this very question the other night. Some people in the paranormal community have this theory that people who write novels or short stories or even poems are actually doing a form of mediumship. This doesn’t happen all the time but it happens enough that we have to take notice. I never actually thought about this before this year and here’s what made me wonder.

As you all know, right now I’m trying to finish up the second novel in my Civil War trilogy. There were some very strange coincidences with my first novel in this trilogy, such as choosing the regiment that my great great great great great uncles were in, however, I didn’t know at the time that they were in that regiment. Going to the regimental musters and looking for character names was how I noticed my family name. So then I looked up my family tree and realized that I had unintentionally placed these uncles in my novel. They were prison guards. I had never really looked at my family tree in detail before then, so there was no way I could have known that these people were part of this regiment. I had seen the surnames before, but I had never known their personal stories. And yet, that was the regiment that was selected for the novel. Was it a coincidence? Maybe. Were my uncles trying to get me to tell their stories in some way? Maybe.

Long after I was deeply entrenched in writing the second book in the trilogy, one of my test readers noticed that some of the background characters resembled historical figures in South Carolina. However, these were not hugely famous historical figures. They were what I would call B list or C list historical figures. Only people very educated in South Carolina history would have recognized traits in these characters enough to realize that they were actual people.

One character in particular was written as Isabelle’s brother. If you read the first novel, you know who Isabelle is right away. She was the only girl in a pile of boys and I introduced one of her brothers in the second book. I gave him a very specific physical description and a very specific personality description. My friend, a native South Carolinian, read the passage where I introduced him into the story and she pointed out that he strongly resembled in physical and personality descriptions the son of one of the famous generals. I had been harboring feelings for a long time about this book being led by something else bigger than myself because sometimes I would write entire passages and not have a clue of what I just wrote until I went back to read it. So I got curious and looked up information about the sons that this particular general had. Lo and behold, there was my character. He looked exactly like the way I described him and people who described his personality used the exact same phrases that I did in the novel. Coincidence? Maybe, but it gets highly unlikely the more it happens in the same trilogy.

A couple of other minor characters associated with Isabelle’s brother in the novel have actually turned out to be very close to reality in a couple of other South Carolinian figures. It would make sense if I had been highly educated in South Carolina history. However, I’m not. This novel trilogy has taken so long to write because I often need to stop and thoroughly read about this place. I knew virtually nothing about it going into it. I just thought South Carolina was a romantic place to have a novel. So how could I write about people that I didn’t even know existed?

Indeed, questions of that nature often arise when people exhibit behaviors of mediums. How can we tell perfect strangers about their family members and their friends when we have no prior knowledge of them? Is it really that different when it comes to a storyteller being inspired or completely driven to write a story? They often say every form of creativity has to have a muse behind it. What is a muse? Could a muse not be a spirit on the other side wanting their story told? Isn’t that the desire of every person – to be remembered and immortalized somehow? None of us want to be forgotten after we die. So wouldn’t it make sense that some of us, when we die, would sort of inspire writers to immortalize us in literature? Extending that idea further, what about painters? What about musicians? Where does their inspiration come from when it’s so clear that they are highly driven and almost obsessive with creating the specific thing?

Some might argue that if storytelling, painting, music, and so forth, come from influence from the other side, then people living here don’t actually have any talent. I disagree. It takes talent to be able to tune into that kind of energy and create it. We are not being fed things word for word, or paint stroke for paint stroke, or music note for music note. We are given seeds of inspiration but it’s up to us to create. That’s where talent is necessary.

So what do you think? Could storytelling for artistry or music be some form of mediumship? How is it possible that storytellers create characters who, if we bother to look closer, turn out to have actually existed at some point?

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2012 Christmas message from spirit

Posted by Jessica Jewett 7 Comments »

Victorian ChristmasLast Christmas, I had been practicing automatic writing for a few months and the spirit I was working with gave me a message to share with everyone. Here we are a year later and a different spirit stepped up to have his message heard. I cannot name this spirit, however. The name would influence your perception of the message and it is true that even spirits deserve a chance at anonymity.

I had a harder time doing it this year as opposed to last year. This year I’m more distracted and busier than ever, which is a blessing, but I feel like I’m rushing through a lot of things now. And it seems like more of my regular visitors have figured out that I’m capable of automatic writing in varying degrees, so many of them want to be heard as well. Not only am I doing this public message, but I feel compelled to deliver private messages too. I feel guilty if I don’t do it.

So without further ado, here is this year’s Christmas message to you all from one spirit in the afterlife.

“Changes are coming so fast in the physical world that many there cannot see beyond the violence and heartache facilitating those changes. The loss of a child, the piercing of a bullet, the taking of another life – none is easily overcome, nor can these deeds be forgotten. No death comes by accident and no death is more important than any other. A life’s extinguishment and transition into our realm comes for all. It is the great equalizer. Human ego creates a hierarchy of life and death, but we must all remember that each soul is a life force all its own with a history of rags, riches, love, and hate. No soul holds more value than another. A child dying of hunger in Africa is requires as much attention and action as a child shot in school. The nationality pales in comparison to the reverence of being one stitch in the fabric of humanity. We must all serve one another and love one another. We all have the power to abolish hunger, pain and suffering.

Enough talking. Start doing. A new Age of Enlightenment is upon us if we reach out and touch it. The world must become more ‘we’ and less ‘them’. Love more, argue less. The basic principles of decency have been lost and we therefore must look to antiquity for guidance. Look to your ancestors. Look to your children. Look to Spirit.

Spiritual practices must return to daily life in the world. Which practice is preferred isn’t the argument. The discipline, self-discovery, true love with the universe, and joy that accompanies daily spiritual practices cannot be denied. Don’t be fearful of that which is bigger than the self. Never allow the ego to become the deity. Each soul is but a dot in the whole of the painting. The painting cannot exist without each brush stroke and each splash of paint. Give the artist joy in painting you.

This coming year, you must slow down and absorb moments. Love the people who hate the most and push them toward the light of joy. Never answer hate with hate. Never give blackness more power. Spend your soul energy on charity, joy, healing, and remembering that which is bigger than the self.”

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Ask for signs!

Posted by Jessica Jewett 5 Comments »

Messenger Between WorldsI usually write my blogs ahead of time and schedule them to post at 6 am so people can read over their morning coffee, but this event happened last night between 2:30 and 3:00 am. I wasn’t about to stay up all night writing a blog, although I did take a few notes. Sorry you didn’t get to read this blog over your morning coffee like usual!

So here’s the story (… of a lovely lady?).

Last night, I stayed up rather late finishing a book written by my friend, Kristy Robinett, which is pictured at left. Kristy was the very first person to interview me about my reincarnation case on a BlogTalk Radio show that she used to do about seven years ago. It was my first public platform to speak openly about my case. We’ve kept in touch since then and I refer clients to her when I can’t do their readings (she’s a much stronger medium than I am with reconnecting people with deceased loved ones). I bought her book right away when it was published but I didn’t have a chance to read it until this week.

That’s the other thing. I’ve had an insatiable appetite for books this month. Normally, I have no time for pleasure reading but this month I’ve been going to bed with books (that’s the only time I can read) and I’m not sleeping very much because I simply can’t stop reading. I finished Chip Coffey’s book in two sittings and the same went for Kristy’s book, and I finished the first Harry Potter book in three sittings. I have no idea what’s going on but I know the lack of sleep is going to catch up with me soon. My brain is apparently starved for brain food though. In fact, I’m resisting the urge to abandon this blog and get started on a Civil War novel right now.

Back to the story!

As I was reading Kristy’s book last night, I got rather emotional in a few places because some of her stories hit a little too close to home. We both devote our lives to helping other people but we both have a history of ignoring universal cues and signs directing our own lives, leaving us open to disillusionment and loss. I don’t know very many mediums, psychics, etc., who have their lives together simply because it’s not in our nature to think about ourselves and what we might need (supposing said mediums, psychics, etc., are in the work for the right reasons). I think we in general have trouble following our own advice because we repeat it over and over again to our clients and the words don’t have the same impact in our own ears. Tell people you love them every day before mediums become necessary. – You don’t need a medium to say I love you to Grandma because she hears you just the same. – Our loved ones look after us even in spirit, so it’s okay to ask for signs. – That sort of thing. We end up sounding like broken records in the course of helping people, which means we often forget to follow advice for ourselves.

Ask for signs.

This is the most fundamental thing when anyone wants to work with their spirit guides or other loved ones in spirit, yet I can’t seem to remember to apply it in my own life. I sometimes feel extremely alone in my life and I self-sabotage my ability to recognize presences of my loved ones when I’m in emotional, mental, or physical downward spirals. The holidays are especially hard. Reading the passage in Kristy’s book last night with the reminders that we should pay closer attention to the subtleties and synchronicities shown to us by Spirit, and to ask for signs when we need direction or comfort.

I finished the book and sat in the dark for a while trying to go to sleep. I decided I was going to try an experiment to see if I could get a sign, so I chose to see if one in particular would cooperate (Lawrence). Music was a huge part of our lives when we were together, so it occurred to me that I should open iTunes on my iPhone and put it on shuffle with focus on requesting signs in the first five random songs chosen by the player. Before I opened iTunes, I did a light meditation just to quiet my mind and put my intention out there to Lawrence. However, the older I get, the more skeptical I am of the concept of signs, so a big part of me thought this experiment was going to be a big dumpster fire of nothingness. I said, “If you have things you want to say to me, use the songs and say them.” So I scrolled up to the top and tapped “Shuffle”.

The first song that came up was one that I’ve never actually played before but the title was Can U Believe and it was by Robin Thicke. Immediately, I recognized the word believe in the title because Kristy had just written a lot in the book about that word popping up when she needed signs. Okay, I conceded, that was a little interesting. Then I listened to the song itself. It’s about self-doubt and learning to believe in yourself. It also mentions being away from the one you love, and being watched but not knowing it. Listen to the song for yourselves.

I got goosebumps but one song applying to the situation could have easily been a coincidence. The next song came on, which was Words of Love by The Beatles. Again, I don’t listen to that song very often and at first I thought there was no connection. My grand experiment, I thought, was not anything realistic. As I listened to the words, however, the song turned out to be about a guy asking a girl to tell him that she loves her. Some of the phrases and words were very close to known letters from Lawrence, who was, in the beginning, extremely insecure about how I felt. He constantly needed reassurance, very much like the way this song plays out. The song was actually written by Buddy Holly in 1957 and then The Beatles covered it.

Still rather skeptical and questioning myself as to whether I was just grasping at straws, I waited for the third of my five requested songs to start. The first notes of Boondocks by Little Big Town played and I wrinkled my nose in, “Okay, this means nothing,” frustration. Wrong. Toward the middle of the song, they sang the line, “I can taste that honeysuckle and it’s still so sweet when it grows wild on the banks down at old Camp Creek. Yeah, it calls to me like a warm wind blowing.” My eyes popped open in bed and I realized it did mean something. One of Lawrence’s pet names for me was “honeysuckle girl” at the time, and even now in the present, I sometimes smell honeysuckle when they’re not even in season.

One obvious connection – coincidence. Two obvious connections – maybe still a coincidence. Three obvious connections? I was starting to pay attention. Three quarters of the way through Boondocks, I said, “If you’re actually influencing the songs, please don’t stop yet. I need two more songs.” I waited for the fourth song to start and immediately, Rhianna’s voice chanted, “Please don’t stop the music. Please don’t stop the music. Please don’t stop the music.” If that was a coincidence, it was hilariously timed, but truthfully, I knew that was his humor. There are pages and pages of letters saved in which he would mimic and tease me for fun.

Four songs in a row in direct response to what I was thinking or saying had me a little nervous. Sometimes people want to see patterns in nothing and I was afraid of doing that even though the deal I proposed seemed to work. I was afraid of pressing my luck by needing fifth song, though, so I found myself saying toward the end of the Rhianna song, “I need another song, but if you can’t or won’t, I promise not to be disappointed.” With bated breath, the iTunes switched over to the next song and Miranda Lambert belted, “Heeeeey, white liiiaaaar…” I burst into laughter. What are the odds that I would get direct responses with phrases that were completely true? I was going to be disappointed if the fifth song meant nothing, so it was, in fact, a white lie.

So I got the five songs written down and let iTunes keep playing. I did that because if I was imagining patterns or reaching too hard, then I should have been able to connect any song to him. Six, seven, eight, nine, etc., songs went by and I felt nothing, nor were there any lyrical connections. The five songs that played in my experiment seeking signs were either songs that I hadn’t yet played or so rarely played that they weren’t even on my top played songs list, so it couldn’t have been a frequency thing. I have over 700 songs in my iTunes and those were the five chosen.

Did I get the signs I needed that I was watched over and not alone? Maybe so. I have no way to prove it. I certainly think I did because I know that particular spirit well enough to know how he would and would not react to my feelings and thoughts.

Ask for signs from your guides and loved ones on the other side. See what happens.

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