Though Dee underwent psychic development as part of her Holistic Counselling training she never had any intention of providing ‘readings’ when she opened her crystal / gift shop and practice in 2002. (See Bio page for more details.) The psychic development and astrology studies were modules of the course intended for the purpose of providing therapy such as meditative past life regression for healing and astrology for profiling clients’ innate nature. Whilst training, it became evident to everybody else in Dee’s class that she was psychically gifted. But Dee remained in denial of her gifts, basically because her visions and insights were so normal and natural to her that she thought nothing of it – simply didn’t realise that her life-long abilities were indeed “psychic.” This is a common conundrum in a society that fails to acknowledge and honour ‘extra sensory perception’ and has a history of punishing it.

Throughout Dee’s life she was often accused of merely being “suspicious” or of being a “know all” whenever she shared her hunches or insights with others. A test conducted during the development classes however, showed Dee’s strongest ‘Claire’ was Claircognizants (Clear knowing.) This means that she knows things about people and many topics but Dee didn’t know how or why she knew it, she just did. The revelation that this ability of hers was “psychic” was all rather confusing for Dee for quite a while afterwards as she tried to figure it all out logically and rationally, which of course isn’t possible and only led to more confusion.

Introducing and pioneering an alternative healing and holistic living practice in her rural home town was a courageous enough feat in itself back in 2002 since no one else was offering services quite like Dee’s in a town that is so at the opposite end of the spectrum to places like Byron Bay where it is all alternative. The last thing Dee wanted was to be labelled a ‘fortune teller.’

Experience has since shown that those who ask the question, “Will I get rich?” are in most cases ‘already wealthy.’ If you feel the need to ask such a question Dee instantly gauges your doubts and it is the doubts and your belief systems that will become the centre of her focus. She is healing and empowering oriented first and foremost.

Readings became a part of Dee’s services only after she was kind of pushed into it by the unseen forces. Subtle hints were delivered at first through an endless stream of customers in her shop constantly asking if she did readings. Dee’s response, “No. No. NO!!!!” Not publically, though she often did readings for herself and a few friends.

Spirit however, had other plans for Dee and has a way of getting the message across even if it means hitting you over the head with a plank of wood (so to speak.) And one day a very insistent older woman bailed Dee up at the shop counter and refused to take no for an answer when she asked if Dee would read for her troubled daughter who was standing there beside her. Still reluctant Dee tried to explain that she is not a “psychic,” but this woman simply refused to accept Dee’s reasoning. Dee pulled a few Angel cards, took one look at the daughter, turned back to the Elder and said, “You had better take your grandchildren for a walk. I need to speak to your daughter in private.” This young woman was headed for a divorce and Dee wasn’t about to discuss this situation in front of her kids.

The young woman confirmed Dee’s so called “suspicions.” She was miserable in her marriage and was only staying for the sake of the children. Dee knew all about this young mothers’ plight and delivered the message she needed to hear. Dee felt the heavy weight lift off the young woman’s shoulders and she suddenly stood upright, gratefully thanked Dee and left the shop in a much happier state than she’d arrived.

“Hmmm, well I guess that’s it now,” Dee mumbled under her breath at the Universe. “I suppose you expect me to offer reading services?”

And so it was. Clear as a bell Dee got the message and finally came to the conclusion that there was sense and reason in taking this path. There was a demand for readings and most felt more comfortable asking for a reading than they did for counselling even though counselling is often required and is a big part of the job. For Dee the tarot cards are only a tool to focus on and are just one of the divinations she uses. Psychometry is another.

The initiation into “Mediumship” – Definition: Mediumship is the practice of certain people—known as mediums—to purportedly mediate communication between spirits of the dead and living human beings…..

Dee couldn’t tell the difference between the living and the dead when this gift started to reveal itself some months later. In fact at the time Dee didn’t consider it a gift at all, more a curse that she had been running away from for months. Being psychic was one thing, discovering that she was a shaman was another. Discovering that mediumship was part of the shamans’ way, was altogether quite another rude awakening. Perhaps Dee had watched too many horror movies or it was her religious upbringing that had put some wacky beliefs about this phenomenon into her head. Beliefs like, “Those people are possessed in allowing evil entities to enter their bodies.” Naturally Dee was very reluctant and challenged as her mediumship development started to unfold.

She was facilitating a Psychic development course in the room behind her shop when Dee had her first encounter with a spirit. Actually this wasn’t the very first encounter at all. She’d had numerous ghostly encounters before even as a child. But this one was different. “There was a group of us in the room including Julie who worked for me in the shop. She was talking about her grandmother who had passed some years earlier when suddenly I started to smell cigarette smoke. This was odd because we were in a closed off room of an evening and there was no way smoke could have been drifting in from outside. “Can you smell the cigarette smoke I asked all of my students. “No,” they all responded.

“Julie continued with her story. The smell of smoke got stronger. None of you can smell smoke? I interrupted. Come on surely you can? It’s like someone is right here in the room smoking. Everyone glared at me as if I was nuts.”

“Oh my god,” Julie replied…. “Grandma was a chain smoker.”
“That would explain it.” Dee was relieved but a little concerned at the same time.
On occasion during these weekly classes Dee had sensed spirits in the room and even felt a couple of them push up against her. Fearing that they were trying to enter her vehicle (body) she resisted and telepathically told them to “F” off.

One day during a one on one psychic reading, the client asked if her mother was going to be ok? Dee instantly saw the woman in her minds’ eye, described her as a short woman with short dark hair, wearing glasses and supported her stance with the use of a walking frame. “Yes, that’s my mum,” the client replied.

“She’s very stubborn,” Dee continued. In fact she is so stubborn that it is killing her.”
The woman glared at Dee and wasn’t the least bit amused. “She is already dead,” she snapped.

“Oh dear,” Dee sighed, “I am sorry.”
Dee was more than sorry, she was shocked, horrified and really didn’t understand any of this. If this woman was dead why had she appeared just as she was in life? Endless questions and so much confusion.

A woman named Brenda was coming to Dee’s home for a psychic reading. Dee forewarned the landscaping guys who were there working on her garden that a client was coming and asked them not to disturb her during the session. These guys knew exactly what kind of “sessions” Dee conducted and one of them asked her what he should do about the ghost that was haunting the house he had just purchased and moved in to.

“It is a deceased estate and hasn’t quite settled yet, right?” quizzed Dee.
“Well yeah,” Campbell confirmed. “I know the family so they let me move in ahead of the settlement.”

“The old man is hanging around to oversee the settlement,” Dee explained. “He means no harm, just wants to make sure it all goes right. If he is bothering you tell him to move on. Call me if you run into trouble.”

“My husband died a few months ago,” Brenda explained as she struggled to hold back her tears.

“Actually he crossed over eight months ago in April,” Dee corrected her.

“Well yes, that’s right,” Brenda sighed miserably. “It feels like only yesterday. Can you tell me something about him? He’s missed out on so much. I wonder if there is another place……. you know…. after here?”

“I am not a medium,” Dee explained. “But I’ll tune in and see what my guides have to say….. I’m seeing a capital ‘F.’ Did his name start with F?”
“No,” Brenda replied.
“Sir name, maybe?” quizzed Dee.
“No,” Brenda repeated.
“Well I don’t know what it means,” Dee explained, “and I can’t get that ‘F’ out of my sight.”
“Oh………….” Brenda smirked momentarily and then announced, “Freda, he always called me Freda.”
Suddenly Brenda’s husband made a bold entrance. “Ben,” he said in Dee’s ear.
“Ben,” Dee repeated. “Who is Ben?” she asked ‘knowing’ it wasn’t his own name and he was referring to somebody else.
“My son,” Brenda confirmed. The tears started to flow.
“He’s telling me that he has met his new grandson,” Dee relayed. “He holds the baby all the time, during the night at Ben’s house. Rocks him back to sleep.”

Brenda sobbed uncontrollably. “I’ve been so sad that he wasn’t here to meet his grandson.” Dee went to her side and applied reiki to her back as she continued to relay the husbands’ messages. “He said he visits you and Ben all the time and you both keep dismissing him as a figure of your imaginations.”

Brenda’s sobs turned into a howl. “He does? So it is him? I thought I was going crazy.”

“He said you and Ben need to talk – share your experiences. Neither of you are crazy….. So you see Brenda, he is still around watching over you all.”

Dee was rocked when Brenda left. This was such a moving experience and she was still trying to logically figure it out. The whole thing blew her mind.

“What the hell did you say to her?” the guys asked when Dee went outside to check on them. “That woman was bawling her eyes out when she left.”
“Don’t worry,” Dee assured them. “She was crying for joy. She just found out that her dead husband lives on after all.”

The challenges and obstacles of the mission.

Ignorance and a lack of understanding is the greatest challenge of all. People fear what they don’t understand. In failing to understand themselves and in failing to self reflect and take responsibility for their own issues, they project these issues onto others and frequently those who are innately empathetic towards others are the ones who cop the projections.

When Dee began offering her services professionally she was persecuted mostly by those who claimed to be ‘spiritually enlightened.’ A few of them even resorted to using black magic to put spells on her and her business. They attacked her on energetic levels and did whatever they could to destroy her work. In Australia there is generally a very negative and destructive tendency to ‘cut down the tall poppies.’ It is near impossible to find people who motivate, support, inspire others and encourage them to grow, aspire and prosper into their full potential. Rather the opposite type are right there in their droves always ready and willing to tear you down.

One of the most powerful and important lessons one can learn and master is to be comfortable in your own skin and proud of being different to the rest. When someone makes a nasty comment and disrespects you ask yourself if you actually like and respect this person? You may have done before they showed their nasty true colours, but now you probably don’t respect them so why care now what she/he thinks of you.

Dee still laughs every time she thinks of the following story. A woman came to her for a holistic counselling session. She explained to Dee that she had an issue with ‘judgement.’ She constantly judged people – everybody! Found fault in everyone who crossed her path and consistently criticized and ridiculed them. She simply couldn’t help herself. She also felt that people were constantly judging her in return. No doubt they were too.

She then stopped talking to draw breath and noticed all of Dee’s crystals around the room. “Are you a witch?” she snapped.

Quietly amused Dee replied, “That is rather a derogatory term. Actually I am a shaman and we are sometimes referred to as ‘Witch doctors.'”

“I am a christian,” she declared. “I think I have come to the wrong place.” And with that she high tailed out of there.

If you can’t and won’t help yourself then neither can or will god help you.

Dee has sometimes been called in on a mission to slam home a message from the spiritual crew of certain individuals who have consistently failed to listen to their guidance. One such individual was on a course of total self destruction with substance abuse. He had sabotaged every relationship and job he’d ever had, flirted with death with highly dangerous activities and much more. Many earth angels had been sent to wake him up to himself. When he asked Dee if she’d do a reading for him the first thing that flew out of her mouth was, “What for? You’ve never listened to your guides, angels or a long list of poor souls who have been unfortunate enough to care about you, so why should I waste my time and energy?”

He was gobsmacked. “Oh…. “was all he could utter.

“Yes, you have hurt a lot of people over the years and the pain and heartache you have caused them is so incredibly tragic – for them I mean. As for you well you continue to walk the path you are on and you can say goodbye to a future. There. That’s your reading. See you.”

A while later when Dee saw him again he said, “I’ve been thinking about that message you gave me…..”