​Ten years ago today, as placed a banana into the blender at 10:30am, I had a sudden vision: I saw myself walking downstairs and telling my husband it was time. 
And just after that vision landed, the intense wave of my first contraction (or surge as they are called in the hypnobirthing world)washed over me.

I had three more within the next half hour, about ten minutes apart. Then suddenly they were five minutes apart - only a half hour after they started! I wasn’t sure what to do - this was WAY faster than what was expected and it was my first child and still ten days before my due date. I called the hospital - I was advised once surges are five minutes apart to go to the hospital (We had decided on a hospital birth due to historical family complications with births). The women I spoke to were great, coaching me to trust my body and urged me to call my doula. Once I got her on the line, she asked me a few questions and when I answered “yes” to all of them, she said, “It’s go time,” and was on her way.

Between surges, my husband made me a meal, which I tried to eat between the waves - I would need the energy. My mom came over from work a couple hours later. I have such a memory of the beautiful afternoon sunlight streaming through the living room window, warm though golden leaves, and my mom, who birthed me holding me and smiling. 

Everything moved really quickly. Chris raced around the house gathering the last few things (for anyone in this position, learn from us and save yourself from additional stress! Don’t just have a list, have a checklist for your hospital or birthing center bag - I had been packing it and Chris didn’t know what was there, what wasn’t, and where the remaining items are.)

We had gone to hypnobirthing classes throughout my pregnancy, which I highly recommend. I didn’t want to know how dilated I was, as suggested by them. I wanted to trust my body, go with the energy of this process instead of being afraid. I met each surge like a wave, breathed through it, and stayed as present as I could.

Within a couple hours, the surges were two minutes apart. We headed for the hospital, and the fun British midwife, instead of telling me how dilated I was, said, “Well, I wish I could prescribe your cervix,” which made everyone laugh — even me, between contractions.
They got me right into the tub - this was a good sign, as it meant I was close to transition. The lights were low. Our fake candles glowed around the tub. We had lavender nearby, and calm music playing. I closed my eyes and focused on the rhythm of my breath. All those hours of practice were SO helpful.

Only two hours after arriving at the hospital, I wanted to push. I said it out loud — twice — and nothing happened. I knew I couldn’t birth my baby in the tub in this hospital. On the third time, I opened my eyes and realized it was only my mom and Chris in the room. I learned that the nurses and midwife had stepped out for a shift change, and my doula had just gone to take a break.
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I hollered, “Get the nurse!” My mom ran to find help. Within minutes, everyone was back, and they moved me onto the table. Our British midwife decided to stay on to see the birth through and twenty minutes later, this little being came out of my body.

​We didn’t know yet that he was a boy. It was a total surprise as he twisted out and into my husband’s arms — and such a relief to be done. My throat was raw from the hollering through the last stages, but I felt so alive. As soon as he was born, with a FULL head of long hair (!!) we put Hugh Masekela’s ”African Secret Society on in the background and just breathed and smiled and took in this new life.
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Eight and a half hours from start to finish. A blur of light, sound, and love.
Now, ten years later, my boy is growing into the most amazing human — creative, funny, full of energy, and endlessly loving.

​I’m so grateful I got to become a mother, even with all the challenges, it is an incredible adventure. 

I hope wherever you are on your journey, you take time to reflect and celebrate the big moments. Here’s to the gift that is life! 

As we spoke, I sensed a shift in the man’s energy. He shared that he’d been moving through some major life transitions. I could feel the pull of spirit connection asking me to help facilitate healing. I could sense that he felt something stirring and building too. I knew I needed to place my hands on him and asked for his consent to do energy work, and he agreed.

I touched my fingers to his back, powerful energy began to flow. The clear knowing came into my awareness and this knowing was transferred through energy, telepathy and a few short words to help them ground into his consciousness. He was astonished that the words were exactly what he had been feeling and wondering in his heart. They were what he needed to hear to accept and release and fully open to the changes that were being offered to him. Tears welled in his eyes. I could feel a profound shift taking place for him right there by the pool.

The whole conversation and energy exchange lasted maybe five or ten minutes, but it left an imprint on all of us. Later, he came back to thank me deeply. I could feel his gratitude, and I knew that this moment would be a turning point for him. It was the medicine he had been waiting for, asking for and it came through because I was listening, because we were all listening.

This is what I love about living this way — attuned to the quiet (and sometimes not-so-quiet) guidance of intuition. When we’re centered enough in our hearts to trust the flow of our inner knowing, we tap into what I believe is our highest form of intelligence. This guidance is always available to us, and it connects us — to each other, to our purpose, and to the unseen support that walks with us.

Greetings! I am excited to share that I was asked to speak about intuition recently on KATU news. It was a lovely experience and tricky to fit so much information into a short 7 minutes! This is a great overview of what intuition is and why it is so valuable! 

Ready to bring big upgrades into your life, team or organization? I help people learn about this highly valuable and underutilized skill that we all have access to. Learn more about my individual coaching here and my work with organizations here. 

Ready for a powerful session? To be seen at a soul level? To connect with loved ones and animals in spirit? See my google and yelp reviews to learn more about people's experiences and if your heart is resonating with the alignment of this invitation, book your individual session for a 1:1 deep dive or community session seat for a condensed connection and to witness the power of others receiving as well. There are 6 available each time, first come first served - my next one is in NW PDX at 6:30pm August 18, 2025). Both experiences are magical and wonderful! 

It is a Wednesday evening not long after my apparel collection is under way in 2006. I am in a meeting late in the day trying to decide which fabrics to move forward with for the next collection, when my phone rings.

The evening light is soft in my studio and there is a still in the air as a sudden surge of adrenaline hits my system when Katya Foreman introduces herself as a writer from Women’s Wear Daily!! (WWD is the most important fashion industry publication!). I’d been featured in all the local publications at this point and am starting to get a little national attention, but this is a BIG DEAL! She’d heard about my line and my fashion show featuring the Canary Dresses I’d designed that illustrated a powerful story bringing awareness to sustainability. She asks if I can send samples of my upcoming Spring/Summer 2007 collection to NYC by Friday to be shipped to Paris for a photo shoot the following week. OMG! I am buzzing through my whole body.
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Of course I say YES! But that is only two days away! I’m not sure how I’m going to deliver. It is early in the apparel seasonal calendar to be asking for samples and I haven’t designed or sourced anything yet!

Designing a collection usually takes months and involves trend research, setting the creative direction, sourcing materials, sketching, draping and pattern making. Then samples are sewn and need to be fitted usually up to three times which involves revising the paper patterns, recutting fabric, sewing and fitting on the fit model until the fit is just right. During all that, costing and pricing are sorted out and at the very end a photo shoot is done to tell the brand story and marketing materials are created to sell the products.

It takes the involvement of many people who specialize in each of these areas to create a collection and bring it to market. A designer’s role typically involves some materials sourcing and designing the collection through sketching and drawing, mostly on the computer these days. Because at this time I am the Creative Director and the CEO of a small budding fashion brand, I am driving and managing the whole system, working with several contractors and interns to create my collections.

To complete multiple intentionally designed and professionally presentable pieces in 48 hours is nearly impossible! There’s no time to work with patternmakers or sample sewers for creating my line. There’s no time to source new materials. I have to work with what I have in house and I have to do it all myself.

As I begin, I feel overcome with gratitude for the education I received from Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York and Polimoda in Italy, the amazing schools I attended, for giving me such a solid foundation to be able to show up in this moment of my life and deliver. So I cancel everything in my schedule for the next couple days and stay up late sketching, deciding on materials, draping, cutting, sewing and patternmaking and with a big sigh of relief ship several pieces off to NYC.

As the days go by, the rush of designing those pieces starts to feel like a distant dream. I’m not sure if anything will come of those feverish efforts and there are many other things to attend to.

About two weeks later I am in the front yard of my parents house visiting with my family on a warm summer afternoon when the phone rings. It is Katya Foreman. She asks if I am in front of my computer. I’m not and she asks if I can be. I walk into the house, my anticipation cautiously building. She says she wants to send me an email and to be on the phone with me when I see it. She waits as I open my email and then she sends the file. I’m in utter SHOCK. I can’t believe my eyes which are starting to tear up.
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She joyfully says, “Congratulations, Anna! Your dress is on the cover!”

I am beside myself with awe and excitement. She explains that she called so that she could be with me to witness me receiving this news and share in the exciting moment. It is one of the most incredible validations that this vision and intention I have to bring healing into the fashion industry is working; that it is real, is valued and the world is ready to hear it.

This cover story is a HUGE deal and it catapults my brand into getting more and more attention, therefore spreading this surge of energy and healing through the industry.
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For more on my journey in the fashion industry, see Flight to Paris.

I swiveled the microphone away from my face before saying a word and started to play my singing bowls for the standing room only crowd. The hum of early morning chatter faded as the sound echoed through the beautifully designed space, reaching into every heart. I let the harmonies lead this room of unsuspecting folks through a bath of sound before directing them to their journals, followed by more exciting surprises. 
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I was doing this for the State of the Union 2025 kickoff meeting for Living Room Realty’s team of around seventy members. The company was celebrating many things and it was inspiring to see this community cheer each other on for so many wins, prioritizing taking the time and space to share authentic messages of appreciation for each other.

I just posted on IG about this concept of taking time to celebrate after the issue popped up in a couple of my sessions yesterday. We often move on so quickly once we’ve achieved a milestone or reward. We tend to critique what we think we didn’t get right and quickly leap into the next challenge. It is often hard to settle into actually receiving and it can be uncomfortable to slow down enough to fully let in the joy. 
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Many of us have been trained to value mistakes or things we got wrong more than what we got right. As Greg Bell brought to my attention in his book, “What’s Going Well”, when we were young, our wrong answers were circled in red, and there were often no marks for our correct answers. It turns out our brains are hard-wired to scan for what could be a threat at a much higher percentage than what is safe and feels good.

Our brains even prioritize storing more challenging or traumatic memories than ones that feel good and rewarding. We are therefore more oriented toward remembering and seeking out the challenges and not experiencing joy quite as much. However, we no longer need to be aware of a saber-toothed tiger and don’t need this outdated form of prioritization. We have the power to consciously shift this “negativity bias” as psychologists call it, and aim our sights on what FEELS GOOD. 

So this is my invitation for you:

Notice in your life where you can recognize a choice to either double down on the intensity and difficulty or release the belief that it has to be hard in order to be relevant or true. Allow yourself to let in the wins, the moments of reflection on what is going well and the things that feel good.

Where in your awareness can you allow yourself to receive RIGHT NOW as you reflect on what is happening in your life?

Try practicing scanning for what feels good within the situations that present themselves for the next two weeks to help rewire the baseline operating program of your brain. What do you think might happen? Notice if you have any resistance to prioritizing this focus. I’d love to hear about your experience and I am happy to help if you find this to be a challenge.

A big thank you to Living Room Realty for having me and contributing to this conversation and movement.

​Greetings!
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I’m happy you’re here. Lots of shifts and changes have been happening lately both internally externally for many of us. I want to take a moment to acknowledge this and to lovingly remind us all that this takes additional energy. Here is an invitation to allow yourself to rest and reflect a little more than usual. During the day you can take a couple minutes to slow breathing, close eyes or focus low and soft, and go inward. Anchor into the truth of your inner knowing, even if it isn’t yet clear. This experience of change can feel chaotic and overwhelming sometimes so this can be a very helpful practice.

I’d like to introduce Joshua Dunn, a lovely client who reached out to share his story with me this week. I asked if he would be comfortable with me sharing it here and he agreed. Enjoy!

This particular Saturday started like most of our Saturdays: my husband and I slept in, staying warm under the quilt as the outside world slowly defrosted. When we finally got up, we made coffee and eggs. After breakfast, I headed to the gym for my usual Saturday routine, taking extra time to relax in the sauna and hot tub after my workout.

“Should I go to Costco or Fred Meyer for groceries?” I wondered. “Eh, I don’t feel like dealing with Costco today—Freddy’s it is,” I silently decided.

I grabbed a second coffee on my way to the store, picked up a shopping cart, and headed in for the few items we needed for the week. Almost immediately after entering, I nearly dropped my coffee in disbelief. There, right in front of me, was an elderly woman who, from behind my now-cloudy glasses, looked exactly like my sweet, recently departed grandmother.

Her humble 5’4” gently rounded silhouette appeared just as I remembered from our many years of shopping together. From her white bob haircut to the baggy capri pants and even the questionably fashionable yet undeniably comfortable Crocs—her signature shoe in her later years—everything about her felt so familiar. My brain worked feverishly to reconcile my reality with what I was seeing.

It took everything in me not to run up and hug her. Should I? I thought. No, that would be weird. You’d probably scare her. I took a deep breath. Pull yourself together.

I teared up just watching her mosey near the front of the store. She even had her purse looped on her arm instead of in the cart—just like my grandmother always did. Her cane rested in the cart’s seat. How can this be? I wondered.

I eventually collected myself and decided not to startle this kind stranger. I shook it off as a coincidence, smiled to myself, and moved on to the produce section. But not long after, as I was searching for bananas, I looked up to find the familiar petite woman directly in front of my cart, her kind eyes meeting mine from behind her mask.

This time, I couldn’t help myself. “Pardon me,” I began. “You look just like my grandmother, who raised my brothers and me. We lost her about a year ago.”

Her eyes lit up. “Oh my heavens! Isn’t that special?” she exclaimed. “How old was she?”

“Eighty-two when she departed,” I replied.

“I’m 92, and I’ll be 93 this June 15. Can’t believe I’ve made it this far!” she beamed softly, placing a hand on her chest.

I was floored. “My grandfather’s birthday was June 15,” I shared, still in disbelief. “He and my grandmother were married sixty-one years.”

“Well, isn’t that special,” she said. “You know, son, I believe I’m still here to take care of my son, who struggles a lot mentally. That’s why I haven’t been called home yet. Your grandmother, though—she finished her work. It was her time to move on. And I can tell she did a mighty fine job raising you boys.”

Tears welled up again, and I thanked her.

“You take care of yourself, ma’am. Many blessings to you. I hope you live another 92 years!”
“My goodness!” she exclaimed, chuckling. “I certainly don’t!”—a response my grandmother would have given to such a bold statement. We both laughed.

“God bless you,” she said as we said our goodbyes. “Take care and have a great day.”

As she disappeared from view, I noticed the items in her cart: a small spiral ham, bakery cookies, clementines, potato chips, and Pine-Sol. Pine-Sol was my grandmother’s go-to cleaning solution for everything.

“Wow,” I thought. “What a special gift and visit.”

I tried to collect myself, pretending my emotion was just indecision over which celery stalks to take home. As I moved aisle to aisle, I found myself longing to see her again. But no matter how much I looked, she was gone.

I thought about my grandmother and all the happy and sad moments we shared—the celebrations, the struggles, and the love she poured into raising my brothers and me. I realized the next day would mark the 63rd birthday of my grandparents’ firstborn, my would-be aunt, who had departed at just five days old.

It was also one year since my first-ever mediumship session with Anna, where my grandmother had been the first spirit to visit. She’d immediately apologized for not heeding the medical advice I had begged her to follow before her departure. I’d spent hours pleading with her in the hospital to listen to the doctors, but true to form, she had smiled and said, “If it’s my time, it’s my time.”

After her departure, I wrestled with guilt. Could I have done more? Was she upset with me for pleading with her? During that session, she reassured me there was nothing I could have done differently. Her apology and validation helped me begin to heal.

As I rounded the last aisle and headed to checkout, I remembered another detail from that session: Anna had mentioned a young child’s birthday being celebrated in spirit. At the time, I couldn’t place it, but later that day, an aunt reminded me it would have been her baby sister’s birthday.

I finished at the register, took one last look at the produce aisle, and walked out to the parking lot. The sunlight rested gently on my forehead as I smiled.

I choose to believe it was a sweet visit from my grandmother’s spirit, a reminder that she’s still near. Her earthly work was complete—she had raised her slain daughter’s three boys into men. And in that moment, I felt her reminder: You’ve got this. I’m with you always. Live your life fully, as I raised you to do.

The car ride home was warm and quiet, but I wasn’t alone. Of that, I am certain.

If you have a story or strong memory about your experience in session with me or something related and you get a tug to share it, please reach out! I’d love to hear from you and it may be just the right medicine for someone reading here.
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Sending warmth to all,
Anna Blossom

​Mark interviewed top scientists and leaders, including the former head of the psychic department at the CIA, studying the validity of telepathy, near death experiences, psychic phenomena, mediumship, remote viewing and more. He builds a strong case about the nature of how we experience consciousness that challenges our world view and invites us to expand our understanding about the nature of reality.
I have often recommended this podcast over the years to clients and just res-listened to it over the past week. I am once again amazed and inspired and can feel that we are much closer as a society to accepting this science as self evident than we were a few years ago when I first listened. He’s since written several more books which I can’t wait to read. You can learn more about his work on his website.
Take a look in the microscope, as Mark says, and enjoy the journey of learning and validating things that have likely already felt like truth, and stretching your understanding of why we’re here.
I’d love to hear from you about this. Comment below or reply to your email and let me know what you think!
Warmth,
Anna Blossom

“Are there any other seats available?” I asked the flight attendant in the tiny section at the back of the plane. “I’m sorry, it is a full flight,” he said. I’d just realized that my seat wouldn’t recline and we were headed to Paris from New York. I was exhausted and exhilarated, high on the energy of the moment and was sure I’d want to sleep at some point. 
A little disappointed that I wasn’t going to be able to recline, I settled back down in the isle seat next to the well dressed woman seated next to me, who I’d been embarrassed to realize had heard me. She assured me with her east coast charm that those seats were actually the safest in the plane. After the sounds of preparing for takeoff, she asked why I was headed to Paris. I was excited to share that I’d been invited to show my apparel collection at Prêt à Porter Paris, a fashion industry trade show. She turned to look at me with happy surprise and said that she was headed there too and that she was a writer for Women’s Wear Daily (WWD is only the MOST important trade publication in the fashion industry!). OMG what luck, I couldn’t believe it! She said was covering lingerie and had been doing that trip for many years. Immediately we started connecting and she wanted to know my story. 
You see, being invited to show your collection as a guest is not the same as applying to show and paying a hefty sum to do so. Prêt à Porter had added a Green section to their trade show to promote and highlight brands that were in the new and emerging space of sustainability. At the time, there were very few brands that were actually blending sustainability with true high fashion and mine was a leader in that space. I had been trained in New York and Italy and then worked for top Italian brands for four years before returning to Portland where I started my line. 
Freshly back from Italy in 2005, I was getting to know local folks in the industry when a makeup artist asked me to partner with her to produce a fashion show. I thought about it and said, “Sure, on one condition: it has to be about sustainability.” She agreed and so I started to reach out to the few brands around the country who were in that space to see if they wanted to send collections to be included in the show. To my surprise, ALL OF THEM said yes! So I suddenly realized I needed to put together my own collection for the show. I didn’t have much time, I think it was about two weeks. So I borrowed $2,000 from a family friend, and having just moved into my new design studio, started creating. I didn’t know what would happen once I got a design studio. I just knew it was time, and that there was so much energy and momentum around it that I jumped in and knew something would come into being once I said yes to it. This is how my life seems to work, and why I now know I was primed to follow the path that has led me to the work I do now. 
During the process of creating this collection, I worked closely with my mom, Connie Cohen. She was instrumental in helping me understand concepts of sustainability, having written her Master’s Thesis on “The Role of the Arts in Sustainable Culture.” I remember us brainstorming late one night at the dining room table trying to sort out how to communicate the idea of limited resources in a way that was poetic and beautiful; that could inspire rather than scare people into making responsible decisions. We landed on a canary as an indicator species, and came up with a sort of poem that would tell the story of canaries in the coal mines. The fact that my anti-Apartheid Dad was from South Africa with its huge mining industry, added a flavor of meaning to this concept. 
My dear artist friend Susanna Battin became the first of my many interns. She helped hand paint the words of the poem onto a series of un-dyed bamboo dresses I designed for the show. I drew a canary and created a silk screen of it that I printed on the backs of all the dresses in different places. When the models walked out, they brought what we later called, “The Canary Story” to life one line at a time on each dress. When they all lined up and turned around at the finale, there was a flock of canaries flying across their backs. It was a powerful message and people were ready to hear it.
At the time, I didn’t realize I was launching what would become my fashion company, I was just following the inspiration and energy of the invitation to participate and lean into what I was passionate about. I had no idea that poem and canary would become the guiding light and icon of my brand, I was just trusting and following my intuition.

DEEP IN THE COAL MINES

CANARIES GAVE WARNING

WHEN TO TAKE ACTION FOR SURVIVAL

EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED

CHANGE 
​BE STRONG

FIND WHAT YOU LOVE

LOVE WHAT YOU DO

LISTEN FOR CANARIES

It was an exhilarating moment. I was excited to bring these two worlds together: Fashion and Sustainability. To make a statement that was so deeply meaningful to me, a tribute to the natural systems on which all life depends using my talent and training for something that could make real change. 

Soon I heard from several writers from local and national publications wanting to feature my work and know more about my vision. It was on. Time to create seasonal collections and start a company - and quickly. The canary became the logo for the ANNA COHEN brand and “Listen for Canaries,” the tagline.

It was an exciting time. I gathered more interns to help and started teaching Fashion Design at Art Institute International of Portland while building my business. I could hand pick the most talented students to work with me and that was such a great perk! Sourcing local patternmakers, sample sewers and production proved to be more challenging, but I made my way through and was soon balancing a large team of talent to bring this vision into form. 

I shared this story and more with the woman sitting next to me on the plane as we ate our dinner and enjoyed wine together. I also shared that I would leave the show early and return to New York to spend a couple exciting days with the executive team at the apparel company, Eileen Fisher. I’d been awarded one of five $10,000 Socially Responsible Women Owned Business Grants. They were flying us to New York to celebrate together, show us a window into how their successful socially responsible business model worked, and to be available for any questions. 
When we deplaned, a young girl was in front of us and the woman said to her with a beaming smile on her face, “You know, this is a famous fashion designer!” It was so lovely to experience her calling me that. 
We shared a taxi and hugged goodbye, wishing each other well. I was excited to meet up with my team who had already arrived from Portland. Only a few minutes later as I was entering our marbled flat, my phone rang, a number from New York. My new airplane friend had reached out to WWD and another writer on staff wanted to interview me right away about the Eileen Fisher grant. It was published a day or two later and was my second time being featured in the iconic publication. I’ll share soon about the first time, which was also an incredible and magical experience. 

It turned out to be quite amazing to see how Eileen Fisher and her team ran their business. It was so inspiring, organized and easeful in a time when that was not the norm in the fashion industry, which tends to thrive on fierce competition, intense timelines and complex systems. It was amazing and such an honor. Eileen was kind, gentle and strong and I learned so much that deeply influenced me in those couple of days spent with her and her team. 

I was following the energy, walking through doors as they opened in front of me and magical things were happening. At that time, my healing work was unfolding through my talent as a designer and visionary dedicated to honoring our natural systems. That evolved over time to include many more chapters that led me to where I am now. 
Your story is unfolding as you move along on your journey and this is an invitation to listen to what feels true, good and important and follow it through the opening doors in your life. Many times over, I have learned that this yields amazing things. Thanks for reading! 

“My friend accidentally killed her cat,” she said. “She hasn’t been able to get out of bed for days and is really struggling,” my dear friend and collaborator, Rosemary, said to me on the phone last Friday night. “Can you help her?” 
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I arrived the next morning and met them both. We went upstairs to her bedroom while her husband and beautiful young children played downstairs. As soon as we started to talk with each other, her other cat, Cookie, scratched at the door, wanting to join us. Avery was surprised. “He usually isn’t like this,” she said as he connected with each of the three of us, looking at us and walking between us. I wasn’t surprised at all. This kind of thing happens with animals all the time when doing sessions. “He knows what’s happening,” I said. “He’ll help us.” 
I’d brought a bundle of dried lavender and rosemary to help with the session and he leapt up on the ottoman where I’d set it down and was rubbing all over it. All of us were amazed, but I knew it wasn’t time to use that tool yet, that would come later.

​As I started the grounding meditation, he walked under my legs, rubbing up against them and jumped up behind me rubbing on my back, very out of character for him. I could tell it was going to be magical. As I opened up to the spirit world I could feel Chloe, Avery’s cat who’d passed. She was sweet and loving and very forward. She showed her eyes first, beautiful and clear and unusual in some way. Avery confirmed this to be true. Then Chloe showed her beautiful fur and parts of her personality. 

The session moved at a gentle pace, one thing being revealed and then another. Soon her grandmother started to appear in my awareness and I could see that she was close with Avery, very dedicated to her when she was alive and also now. I had a feeling about something being in the room that was hers or representing her just behind me and to the right. Avery was astonished when I asked if there was an item representative of her in that part of the room and said there was a figurine that was on her shelf right there that was her grandmother’s for years that she’d recently taken down, and had just been thinking about. She’d been thinking about her grandmother and wondering if she might come through. Of course she came into my awareness just before we started to do healing energy work, perfectly timed to support Avery. 
I could sense her grandmother’s hand on her forehead, the soothing loving energy of her. I followed suit, placing my own hand there, caressing her forehead lovingly, explaining what I was feeling and knowing this was the opening that would help her let go. 
I intuitively knew immediately on the phone the night before that Rosemary would assist with the session. She works with energy too and I knew it would be part of her journey to learn, serve and receive as a healer in this process for her friend. She sat to one side of her while I sat on the other and with her consent we opened her energy channels with gentle touch, following the energy of her body to know where to place our hands. Avery was ready. The flow was powerful and she was starting to release deeply rooted energy and feelings of intense responsibility and tension that expanded beyond the trauma from losing Chloe. 
When in session with a client, I am shown through my sensory system, relevant information that will help them evolve and heal. This information is provided because the client has invited loving spirit connection and support and consented to receive. 

In this case, I was shown that there was a pattern in her life of taking more than her share of responsibility especially for outcomes that were not ideal and being extremely harsh on herself in a way that she wouldn’t do with anyone else, which she confirmed. I could see that this pattern was also at play with what happened with Chloe who had climbed into the dryer for a nap. Avery had closed the door and started it going without knowing she was in there. It was agonizing for her that this had caused the death of her most beloved animal companion and she held such a level of intense emotion, regret and sadness. She carried a huge amount of responsibility for what happened and even though she took actions that led to the outcome of her passing, I could see the responsibility was not all hers to hold. I helped her understand this and how interlinked Chloe’s passing and her healing was. The extreme version of this pattern at play made it no longer possible to sustain in Avery’s body and this is why we were there; why spirit connection was happening at this time. Many elements, energies and intentions were converging to support this transformation for her. 

I could also energetically sense that she would hold herself separate from others, not allowing herself to receive and that her incredible relationship with Chloe was a kind of healing she’d never experienced before, which she confirmed. I was shown and then explained that Chloe’s ultimate gift to Avery in her passing provided the opportunity to release this strong held pattern so she could be far more free and open in her life. It was clear that it would have been very difficult for her to let go of this pattern and allow this major shift - spiritual, emotional and physical without this intense experience. She also desperately wanted to know that Chloe didn’t suffer too much and needed to communicate how much she loved her and how sorry she was. 

There were more words and energy work that took place. She was holding so much grief and tension in her chest. Rosemary was amazed as she witnessed Avery’s body and energy system distinctly soften and release under her hands. 

It is hard to articulate the depth and measure of the incredible life changing experience that transpired from this exchange. I feel as though when I’m tapped into the level of consciousness, of being, of communication and exchange that happens while serving toward the highest good in partnership with the spirit world, a kind of powerful healing beyond our full capacity to understand takes place. 

We all felt deep and powerful shifts and knew when the healing was complete. As we did the closing meditation, Cookie, who had been working with us the whole time, scratched at the door once again to be let out. His work was done. I could feel and confirmed to Avery that his role would shift and he would help her continue to heal. 

“This is an absolute miracle!” she said. “I didn’t think I was going to ever get out of bed. And I feel completely different now. I feel lighter and back to myself. I couldn’t be more grateful.” She shared these words with gratitude filled tears as we locked eyes for a long moment then she and Rosemary had a long sweet tearful embrace followed by all three of us in a hug. We all felt so lifted by the experience. “This was absolutely incredible!” 

I then felt the pull to clear the room and her with the smoke from the lavender and rosemary. Afterward, Rosemary and I went downstairs to the laundry room where Chloe had passed. Avery thought she’d never be able to enter that room again. We opened the windows and burned the herbs in that space while Avery remained upstairs gathering items for creating an altar in there. Then we brought her gently into the room and made the beautiful altar together. Rosemary and I sang to her and Chloe. It was beautiful and transformative. Then our work was complete. 

I reached out yesterday to find out how Avery has been doing the last few days. Here’s what she said:“I feel like I have been reborn. It is the craziest thing. Like I’m meeting Alex and my kids for the first time. How a cat dying could cause what’s happening is mind blowing. The block that was there was preventing me my entire life from being where I am now.” 
This is the beautiful work I have been aching to write and share about for years. I get to see this incredible transformation unfold time and time again, each scenario unique, beautiful and profound.

Another friend reached out for an urgent session for her mom as I was writing this post this week. Her mom’s dog is passing and her mom’s mother very recently passed. I struggle to find the words for how powerful the healing and messages were that came through in that session yesterday. 
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Whether you are near or far, whether it is for you or someone you love, if you feel the pull to receive or provide a session for another who needs it, follow that feeling. There is a reason you are reading this, let that reason become clear. I am here to help and because of the trend of these sessions this week, I am opening up my books to do more urgent sessions (in person and online) and house calls, which I haven’t done in years, as needed. ​

Just at the end of a very full session with a client a couple days ago, she shared with me that she’d been having consistent physical pain in her chest and heart since her loved one had passed. There were so many other things to cover in her session, I hadn’t been shown this information by her or my spirit team and I’m so glad she followed her intuition to bring it to my attention. 

Sometimes when our loved ones pass, I have found over the years that some of their energy can remain attached or blended with someone who is emotionally and sometimes who was physically close to them when they passed. We can do healing energy work as a team to release their energy which is beneficial to everyone; the loved one in spirit can move through their process of evolving, the loved one remaining embodied can as well. One can feel stuck and less connected with their loved one in spirit if this happens. Sometimes clients fear letting go when I detect this is the case, as if they will lose their loved one even more by releasing their energy. Contrary to this, in my experience both parties, once separated, can evolve better and connect better after this work. 

I felt into her body and could see that she was right, his energy was present. She said she’d tried to ask his energy to leave her body many times but it wasn’t working. This client was already quite intuitive and aware of energy. I could sense her frustration but could see that this wasn’t intentional on his part and shared this important piece of information with her. As we moved into the energy work, I was able to help them both to release his energy without issue from her body, but when I tried to bring healing energy into her system she was barely open to receive. As if the aperture or opening to receive energy was quite closed and tight. I acknowledged this and asked her to open to the healing powerful energy that was being offered to her. As I was asking her to do this, I could see that this minimal opening was part of the reason his energy was stuck. There needed to be additional flow IN and her fear of experiencing more spirit connection than she was comfortable with along with her past significant traumas that aimed her expectation toward a negative experience were at play. Once we acknowledged this, she was immediately able to reframe her expectation and open to the powerful loving offer of healing and support available to her. I felt the shift and so did she. 

I was pleased to get an email the next day from her that said, “THANK YOU for last night's session. My chest feels MUCH better!”
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There were so many other amazing things that happened in her session and that happen in all sessions, but I’m happy to get this down in writing to share!

As I was nearing the end of a reading I did last weekend for a family of five, I got the sense that someone had a very acute and painful back issue. I checked in with the group and it was related to Kara’s aunt. She had been caring for a friend who had fallen from a high distance and broken his back. It was a long recovery and he was in pain. I immediately felt I needed to do some healing energy work on him. I enlisted the group’s help and we sent healing energy through to him. I facilitated the group’s healing intentions and sent my own, talking us through for a few moments as it was being done. Once it was complete, I knew that he would feel better that day and told the family. Three days later I got this text from Kara who’d just gotten it from her aunt:

“Missing all of you. And get this: John hasn’t had any pain, hasn’t worn the brace except to go for long walks (which is new) and he JOGGED twice, ¼ mile each time! Kara, please tell Anna would you?”

I have been doing a lot of healing energy work in my readings these days and I can feel how powerful the energy is as it moves through my system and into the people I serve. I have heard great feedback from people who have been able to be released of various physical and emotional pain. This one tops the list so far! It is such an honor to do this work and so exciting to share!

(The image above is a picture from Kara's aunt's place where John was recovering from his fall.)

​I don’t always light a candle when doing a reading. But for this one, I was drawn to doing so. The candle I lit was a very special one. It was a gift from our wedding, a beautiful ornate beeswax candle that I used to help guide my child’s spirit to me in the weeks before he was born. I didn’t give it much thought; I just lit it and proceeded.

It was a very special reading, for an old friend I hadn’t been very connected with over the past 10 years or so. His dad had died several years before and recently when I saw him at a birthday party, I could feel his dad reach out wanting to connect, so I offered to help. Three months later, my friend, we’ll call him James, reached out, ready for a reading.

His dad was immediately present and I imagine that because I knew him, and because of his personality, ability to merge with my energy and desire to come through, I felt him almost closer to me than any spirit I had felt before. He didn’t come through with evidence; he immediately stepped aside and allowed James’s grandmothers to come through with evidence. After several images and feelings, a piano came to mind, and the vision of where it was in James’s mother’s house, which was correct. It felt as though there were possibly pictures there, and like there was a beam of light above the piano, and I got the sense that maybe his dad hung out there. James said that they had made an alter there for him after he had died and that he would check with his mom to see if there was something significant there now.

Then there was some energy work that James was ready for. He smoked cigarettes and I felt he was ready to move away from this in his life, which was right. There was an ability to offer some energy work to disconnect the habit from his energy system, so we worked on that as well. There were lots of other lovely connections and details that came in the reading.

When I checked in with his dad in the end again, asking if there were any messages or anything he’d like to show James, I got the sense that he was communicating that he didn’t need to prove anything, that James could feel him and knew he was there. I remained silent, feeling that I needed to allow space for something. His dad then brought forward the most beautiful glowing essence of a child. It was so powerful and incredible, it nearly knocked my socks off. I couldn’t contain the love, and tears started rolling down my cheeks. I told James all of this, and how his dad was essentially looking after, loving, holding space for and nurturing this little being. 

As it turns out, James’s fiancé is 12 weeks pregnant, which he told me after several sweet layers of this message came through. I have seen spirit babies before in readings, but this one was so powerful and so present and clear. It was strong and beautiful and I believe that one reason I connected so clearly to it was because James’s dad was assisting in sharing this very special energy with us.
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I only realized as I went into the living room this morning and saw that candle sitting on the table, that it must have played a special role in helping to connect with that beautiful spirit baby, especially after all the energy and intention I had put through that candle to bring mine to me. 

That’s what world-renowned British medium Mavis Pittilla said to me recently during a gallery reading at Spirit Camp on Washington’s beautiful Hood Canal.

It was somewhat of a miracle that I could even attend the mediumship retreat that preceded her reading. I was breast-feeding my seven-month-old baby, and I live 150 miles away. But the magic of the Spirit world seemed to align all the logistics perfectly, and I had just spent 3 exhilarating days immersed in the work of expanding my psychic gifts.

That night at the gallery reading, there was a crowd of about 150, most of them mediums from all over the world. I amazingly got a seat in the center of the second row after almost everyone was already seated. About half way through her demonstration, I realized I should record it to review later. Shortly after I pressed “Record” on my phone, she came to me with strong and accurate messages. Astounding.

It was this reading she did for me, and my experiences over the past year doing reading after reading and witnessing people’s lives change as a result, that guided me to make the choice to focus entirely on this work. It seems I don’t really have much of a say in the matter anyway. The mediumship is in fact, rising and taking over. And I’m happy to oblige. 

I’ve decided to start this blog to share stories and lessons that come through from the readings that I do. There is healing, love and learning for everyone in them. I promise to be honest, and to be a channel for spirit, and I’ll do my best to be interesting. And don’t worry. I won’t share your story unless I get your permission first. 

Here we go! Let’s see what unfolds…