Is there anybody there?

4:28pm Tuesday 31st October 2006

While many people remain sceptical when its comes to tarot cards, clairvoyance and mediums, Guardian reporter Vicki Durham went to local pyshic Gail Hart to find out more about the spirit world WHEN it comes to psychic ability, most people fall into one of three categories: those who don't believe in it, those who are curious about it, and those who are utterly convinced by it.

I went to see psychic Gail Hart as someone who falls into the curious category. I'm fascinated by the work of mind-control expert Derren Brown and the way in which he tries to debunk psychic myths, but that doesn't mean I'm not open-minded about the possibilities.

Gail has worked as a psychic, clairvoyant and medium for 23 years and has built up a successful career doing readings for corporate parties and private clients. She has also appeared on television shows such as Are You Psychic? with Carol Vorderman and in publications, including Spirit and Destiny magazine. Most recently, her work has brought her to Theydon Bois where she is running a series of workshops at the newly opened holistic therapy centre Archangels in Loughton Lane. Archangel's owners Vicki-Ann Aiano and Louise Lazarus already offered tarot readings as part of their range of healing services, however they wanted to expand their business with a clairvoyant and medium.

Gail, who stresses the importance of employing ethics and integrity when undertaking psychic work, saw it as the perfect opportunity to educate people about the safe use of psychic powers.

She says: "It's like when someone is learning to drive. You don't start them out on a motorway. You take them to the small roads."

The first stage of Gail's three-part course teaches how to purify and cleanse the self, the home and objects before embarking on psychic work. The second workshop is about protection. She explains: "This workshop teaches you how to put yourself in a protective shield so that if you do pick up on any unwanted energies you know how to get rid of them. It also teaches you how to avoid them in the first place."

She says this is important because a sensitive person may pick up on negative energies during psychic work, which can then mount up and leave them feeling depressed. Knowing how to create a "psychic shield" can also be useful when people begin to suffer the unwanted effects of "inviting" spirits into their home, for example through the use of a ouija board.

The final workshop aims to educate participants in building up their psychic awareness.

"A lot of people think what psychics do is random and that if we guess enough we'll get the right answer, but we don't need to guess."

Gail's course is most likely to appeal to those who already have a healthy interest in psychic powers. However, her services aren't limited to teaching.

One of her prime concerns is healing, and tarot, the crystal ball, palmistry and flower cards (like tarot cards but each card has an associated remedy to use at home) can all help in this way.

Vicki-Ann Aiano explains: "These services are really for all walks of life. People want advice and guidance regardless of what body it's coming from, whether they believe it's from a higher consciousness, guides, gods or something else."

Archangels are also able to complement the healing aspect of Gail's work with massages, spa treatments, Reiki, chakra balancing, crystals, oils and gemstones.

So what about my experience? During my tarot reading, Gail made some very accurate observations and it was certainly spooky to think that a stranger could ascertain facts and feelings that only my friends and family would know. Whether you want some help addressing a serious issue in your life or merely a fun, alternative way to treat yourself, I would recommend psychic treatments to anyone with an open mind.

Just don't go along in the hope of finding out next week's lottery numbers.

"People ask if I can predict the lottery numbers and I tell them I can, but I can't tell them which night they're coming up!" laughs Gail.

Around the site