Turning up the Volume to Your Intuition

The Moon is associated with our instinct, feelings, magnetism, subconscious, receptivity, reflection, dreams, femininity and intuition; it guides us to understand our inner truths and embody them. This energy is represented by the High Priestess in the Tarot: she’s devoted to aligning with higher states of consciousness and knowing herself. She utilizes intuition over intellect. She is still. The High Priestess has nothing to prove. Self-trust is her superpower. You could think of her as the cover girl for the Moon. Becoming more like the High Priestess can’t happen overnight: it’s a journey of building trust. She’s an archetypal energy that’s within you. You could think of it as getting to know your woke BFF to the point that you’re finishing their sentences. Have you seen those memes that depict what we think spiritual awakening should look like versus the reality of it? You may think it’s about being all love and light, 24/7, but the truth is you will be tested at times as you navigate the new terrain. That’s how we really learn and integrate new levels of awareness. This isn’t meant to scare you off: you’ve got this.

Aligning with the Moon can support you to turn up the volume to your intuition, whether through practising rituals or increased emotional intelligence. As you become more self-aware, understanding your moods, triggers and fluctuating energy levels throughout the cycle, you can slow down and find your own rhythm: you’re able to discern whether it’s your truth you’re experiencing or someone else’s. The lines may blur when you’re stressed and anxious.

Intuition isn’t reserved for a lucky few. We are all intuitive, even the natural-born over-thinkers, the practical ones and the sceptics. Even if you don’t identify as intuitive, I know you can call out inauthenticity when you see it. You may know it as a gut instinct, inner voice or sixth sense. Intuition is innate, regardless of your upbringing, religion, gender or experience. But it isn’t always the loudest voice in your head, which is why it’s often dismissed. The conscious mind processes information based on what we ‘think’, which is often based on previous experiences or external influences. Intuition is more sensitive to subtleties that may otherwise go under the radar. That is why you may associate your intuition with feeling, rather than thinking. Most of us aren’t taught how to translate the messages that our intuition tries to send us so we play it safe: the message is sent to voicemail to be picked up later, often with a twinge of regret ‒ we wish we’d listened to it sooner.

Intuition is an awareness of a situation or a prompt that’s instinctive: you just know something (which isn’t based on previous experience) or get a nudge to do something that seems out of the blue, or a niggle that won’t go away. It can be a sense of clarity, beyond any logic or prior information to back it up. Like hearing your phone ring and instantly you know that the friend you were just thinking about is calling, or that someone’s not going to turn up for an appointment, or when a friend introduces you to their latest lover, there’s a feeling in your gut that there’s something shady about him or her. And there’s that moment when you’re house-hunting and you know you’ve found your new home, or you take a different route because you suddenly feel like it and bump into a friend who hooks you up with an incredible opportunity.

‘I don’t know how I know, I just do’ usually accompanies an intuitive nudge.

When it comes to your intuition, first impressions count: the gut feeling or hunch ‒ whether it’s about an opportunity, person, house, job or relationship ‒ is trying to tell you something. The trick is not to talk yourself out of it.

Decisions are often made based on what you think you should do, despite the glaring red flags, or reasoning based on circumstances and outcomes from the past, or obligations and people-pleasing (one of the surest ways to put your intuition on flight mode). Your intuition doesn’t conform to any of these, which may make it hard to trust: there isn’t any evidence, yet, to back it up.

If you’re over-thinking a decision, it’s probably because there’s a conflict between what your intuition is guiding you towards and what you think you should do. It wants to lead you towards the truth, which may be hidden beneath obligations, fears and vulnerability. It’s there to guide us towards a higher purpose, rather than letting us get caught up in all of the outdated details and drama. Your intuition won’t always tell you what you want to hear and it can take you out of your comfort zone: feeling the push and pull of resistance is part of the process.

Intuition is a tenacious force: it won’t take it personally if you ignore it. It will be there in the background (sometimes nagging), even if someone is trying to gaslight you, until you honour it or the situation runs its course and you realize it was right all along.

There’s nothing more frustrating than knowing you could have followed a different path when you convinced yourself otherwise: you get angry with the world around you and it’s someone else’s fault for leading you astray. At the end of the day, though, you’ve got to own your decisions and take responsibility. View it as an opportunity to give your intuition a high-five for being wiser than you realized at the time ‒ and remember: listen up, next time.

If you’re repeating the same pattern again and again, but getting the same (undesired or outworn) results, what if you tried something different? What if you follow your intuition to see where it takes you? As humans, we can get stuck in our ways, and trick ourselves into thinking it’s better the devil you know. But what if your intuition was leading you in an ultimately better direction?

Being intuitive isn’t about always making the ‘right’ choice and living a life of divine ease: a mistake can teach us a much-needed lesson that we won’t forget.

Sometimes you have to make a few ‘wrong’ moves to wise up.

You don’t need to go into the depths of a jungle and take part in a sacred ayahuasca ceremony to awaken your third eye (the chakra commonly associated with intuition and heightened perception); you just need to start listening. And by listening, I don’t necessarily mean with your ears, although some of you may receive some of your intuitive downloads, nudges and pings in that way. Listening to your intuition can mean tuning into the sensations in your body when you need to make a decision, how your energy shifts when you’re with someone or when an idea comes to you in the shower.

You already use your intuition daily when you’re interacting with others: it may come as a first impression of someone you’ve just met, or you know something’s wrong even though your friend is trying to convince you otherwise. If you work in a public-facing role, like a hairdresser, therapist, waiter, customer-service adviser, personal assistant or consultant, you’re tuning into other people to work out how you can be of best service to them. If you’re a parent you may sense what your child needs without them physically or verbally communicating it. It can be as if you’re reading someone’s mind or between the lines in what they say. It’s like we have access to another channel and we can receive what’s known as downloads. It may be an idea that comes out of the blue: perhaps it’s taking your umbrella to work even though the sun is shining; or picking up an item from a shop for a friend ‒ when you give it to them, they tell you that they’d lost theirs (how did you know?) ‒ or a nudge to call a friend you haven’t spoken to for a while and they tell you they dreamt of you last night. Your intuition can speak to you in your dreams, giving you information or what can seem to be a premonition. It picks up on things that your conscious mind doesn’t notice. Intuition isn’t analytical: it doesn’t weigh up the pros and cons, or even consider the facts, which is why it’s often disregarded.

Your intuition is your highest intelligence because it isn’t caught up in people-pleasing or seeking external validation. It isn’t about being right or wrong: it’s there to guide you towards higher ground.

You could think of your intuition as a muscle you can strengthen or a relationship in which you’re building trust. Get to know it. Lean into it.

When you get an intuitive nudge, take note of how it feels and how it’s communicated to you. Look out for the nuances. What’s happening when you get a download? You may notice it has a different tone compared to your usual thoughts. It can seem like a lightning bolt out of nowhere or a penny finally dropping. Sometimes it’s hushed but crystal clear. Perhaps it happens when you’re in the shower or brushing your teeth or chopping vegetables for a stir-fry. It’s likely that you’ll find your intuition is clearer and louder when you’re meditating or relaxed enough for your brain to shift into a theta state (just before and just after sleeping), during a Moon ceremony or ritual, a Tarot reading, or simply somewhere quiet in nature. Those precious moments when you aren’t distracted by the world around you. Completely in the present.

Try not to cherry-pick what your intuition’s telling you. Of course it’s easier to listen and take action when it’s saying something nice and easy, like choosing a crystal or you pull an oracle card and it gives you a positive reading, but when it comes to doing something beyond your comfort zone or it’s telling you something you don’t want to hear, you tend to dismiss it, thinking that the signal has dropped and its message has been lost in translation.

Your intuition can be subtle but is communicated through psychic senses, known as the ‘clairs’ (meaning clear in French).

THE SIX PSYCHIC SENSES

Clairvoyance. This is the ‘clair’ you’re most likely to have heard of. It means ‘clear seeing’. With this psychic sense you’ll see visions: it can be very similar to dreams. They may appear to you when you’re in a meditative or light sleep state. You may be aware of colours in and around your body, or it’s as if you’re watching a screen and something’s being acted out, or you see symbols, scenery, objects, written words, animals, spirit guides, angels and people. Clairvoyance is also associated with lucid dreaming, in which you can consciously interact with your dreamscape. This psychic sense may freak some people out: what if you see something you don’t want to see, like a ghost or something that could be perceived as bad? While this happens for some, I think it’s quite rare because fear overrides it so those things can’t come through.

Clairsentience. This is about ‘clear feeling’: when you notice physical sensations in your body. It can simply be the awareness of how your body reacts to certain people or situations. Clairsentience may cause you to feel someone else’s pain, whether it’s physical or emotional; you may feel the pain as a sudden backache or heaviness. Picking up on another person’s well-being is also possible but is often subtler. I know this is going to sound creepy but in some cases it can literally be as if you sense someone is touching you or something’s brushed past you. It may be one of your spirit guides.

Clairaudience. This means ‘clear hearing’ and most commonly occurs when you’re doing a guided meditation or journey and you’re given an opportunity to ask questions in a conversation with a spirit guide or with your higher self. You may receive an answer from another voice speaking internally (in your mind). You may also hear music, lyrics, sounds or words that are coming from within. Sometimes a voice comes out of nowhere with a message.

Claircognizance. The ability to know something without learning or being told about it, which can make it tricky to back up. You may sense that a friend is unexpectedly pregnant, or know where a lost object will be in a house you’ve never been to before, or suddenly decide to catch an earlier train and find out later that there was an accident on the one after yours, or in a guided meditation you access information you had no prior knowledge of. A claircognizant friend intuits unusual names that seem random, but when she researches their meaning they’re so relevant to her situation.

Clairalience. This means ‘clear smell’: in certain situations, such as when you’re in a meditative state or just about to go to sleep, a scent wafts under your nose. It may be familiar: flowers that remind you of a loved one, or a perfume, or even the smell of a specific brand of cigarette.

Clairgustance. ‘Clear taste’: in a similar way to clairalience, you get a taste in your mouth of something distinctive. I had a friend who went to see a psychic, who asked, ‘Who’s close to you who likes Jaffa Cakes? I can taste them and it’s horrible.’ The psychic clearly wasn’t a lover of Jaffa Cakes but my friend immediately knew who it related to.

It can be tricky trying to determine if it’s your intuition or anxiety speaking. It’s like when you’re in the car and you’ve got lost because you’re driving too fast and missed the turning you needed to take. When you’re feeling anxious, your energy system is overloaded and your thoughts are scattered. Being in an alpha brain state, where you’re calm, quiet and somewhere you aren’t distracted, can support you to tune into these senses and get to know which of them your intuition communicates through. You may be in a light sleep state, dreaming, meditating, doing creative visualization, writing, daydreaming and connecting with the subconscious. This can help you to enhance sensitivity, make sense of it all and hone your response towards the intuitive messages you’re receiving. Don’t rush or put pressure on yourself. It might take practice but the more you slow down, the better you can turn up the volume to your intuition.

One of the easiest ways to recognize your intuition is to rewind through all of the times that you ignored it: the ex you stayed with for too long; the job that had all the perks but something was saying you were selling your soul; or the investment that really was too good to be true; or the time you didn’t speak up and now wish you had. How did your body feel when you were bypassing the red flags and signs? What were you consciously thinking? What was the motive behind your decision-making process? How did you talk yourself out of following your gut instinct? Were you tripped up by the ‘shoulds’, people-pleasing, thinking it was the logical thing to do, or you just wanted an easy life?

MEET YOUR EGO

Just like intuition, we all have an ego. It isn’t as evil as people make it out to be. Your ego does whatever it can to keep you safe within the confines of your comfort zone. The ego can also represent your self-esteem and self-worth. It wants to protect you from reliving past traumas, looking a fool or feeling guilty, and it loves to dance with your limiting beliefs. Thoughts like, ‘Who do you think you are? You can’t do this. You will fail. What if you humiliate yourself? You don’t deserve this.’ These words that echo through your mind: this is your ego talking, keeping you stuck in a rut. Living your best life usually means stepping out of your comfort zone. Our ego is nuanced. I think it represents our shadow self: the parts of ourselves we’re ashamed of, whatever makes us feel vulnerable and triggered. We play down our achievements because we don’t want people to think we’re big-headed; we shrink ourselves so that others don’t think we’re too much or feel threatened by us. If someone’s having a bad day we can feel guilty that some incredible things are happening for us so we play down the good stuff. We just want to fit in because that’s where we think we’re safe. Ego can cause us to do things for external validation rather than because we want to do them. The mind is a powerful tool but a terrible master, and I think the same applies with the ego. It’s good to want better for ourselves but it’s important to check in with why.

MEET YOUR HIGHEST SELF

Your highest self is the intelligence that diminishes the put-downs your ego may use against you. It’s an expanded way of thinking and being. In comparison to the ego, it’s uncomplicated and unadulterated. Your highest self can also be the spokesperson for your intuition. It’s your cheerleader and speaks to you in the same compassionate and encouraging way that you do with your best friends.

EGO: What if it doesn’t work out?

HIGHEST SELF: What if it does?

EGO: People will judge me.

HIGHEST SELF: No one will judge you as much as you’re judging yourself, right now.

EGO: Life is hard.

HIGHEST SELF: Let yourself be supported, then.

EGO: I’m not good enough yet.

HIGHEST SELF: You’ve got to start somewhere (and, yes, you are!).

EGO: It’s too good to be true. They’re going to find out that I’m a terrible person and it will be the end.

HIGHEST SELF: This is just F-E-A-R, or False Events Appearing Real. You deserve this. Enjoy it.

EGO: What if they don’t like me?

HIGHEST SELF: If that’s the case, they aren’t your people. Just be yourself and you’ll find out the truth.

EGO: If I don’t do it, then who will?

HIGHEST SELF: The world will keep spinning, even if you take a day off. It’s safe to say no.

Living intuitively is about trusting yourself above anyone else: nobody knows you as well as you know yourself. It’s your life to live. I think that’s where true confidence comes from: wholeheartedly trusting the decisions you make and proceeding accordingly. Instead of obsessively reading your horoscopes, having psychic readings to confirm that you’re doing the right thing, or constantly asking your friends for advice, tune into what you want from a situation. We can give away so much of our power by letting other people make our decisions for us. Perhaps you pretend that you’re the easy-going one, but the truth is that making a decision gives you anxiety because you over-think everything. It can feel safer to let someone else take the reins, but at the end of the day, the only person who will always be there is you. Why not invest in numero uno and speak up for what you want? Honouring your needs and desires is important.

The hold-back is that we don’t trust our intuition enough because we want proof, and if our ego is leading us in a different direction, it has proof: ‘Do you remember the last time you did that and it didn’t work out?’ or ‘So-and-so did it and it worked for them’ or ‘If you go for this job you’ll have more security and know that your bills will be covered and the holiday allowance is great, too. All you need do is sign on the dotted line …’

Living intuitively is based on what feels right for you, rather than what society (or your ego) may tell you. It’s knowing what your truth feels like. Your intuition helps you to discern it.

HOW TO TELL IF YOUR INTUITION IS TELLING YOU YES OR NO

If my intuition is telling me no, I either don’t notice any sensations or feel as if I’m standing in front of a closed door. I may feel heavy and as if my head is fogged. If it’s a yes, I feel lighter and expansive. I feel activated and uncomplicated. This may not be the same for you. Use this visualization to get to know what your yes or no is like for you.

As I said, everyone is intuitive but the key to the good stuff? You’ve gotta trust it and act accordingly.

Full Moons bring illumination and can heighten your awareness. Because the full Moon is amplifying, it may seem to turn up the volume to your intuition; it may also put lots of other things in your life under the spotlight so it’s helpful to take time out to process anything that comes up for you. Meditate, journal, perhaps pull a Tarot card (or a few) to see what it’s really trying to tell you. You may notice points in the Moon cycle when your dreams are more vivid. Write them down as soon as you wake up to see if there are any messages or premonitions from your intuition. Dark or new Moons can support a clear channel to your intuition because energetically it’s a quieter time and easier to tune in, with potentially fewer distractions compared to the full Moon. That being said, your intuition is always there. You can’t switch it on and off. You may notice that it communicates with you to varying degrees, depending on the lunation or what’s going on in your life.

Your intuitive senses can be heightened and developed through practices like meditation, yoga, Tarot reading, working with crystals and breathwork (a conscious breathing practice). After they’ve been attuned with reiki, people often feel that they are more psychic and intuitive and are able to receive information they wouldn’t have been aware of or had access to otherwise. Anyone can develop and nurture these senses.