Mediumship, Healing, and the Power of Spirit Communication with Karen Docherty

Ever wondered if someone out there, unseen, is watching over you? Join me as we uncover the mystical world of mediumship with the captivating Karen Docherty. She's not only a medium but also a mentor who has embraced her extraordinary ability to communicate with spirits. Karen's personal narrative is as powerful as it is heartwarming, tracing her discovery of mediumistic talents since childhood, and how it evolved into her life's mission. Together, we navigate her transformative journey through visions, training at Arthur Finlay College, and the solace her work brings to those in mourning, proving that the bond of love transcends even death itself.

Wading into the serene waters of intuition and spirit guides, we find clarity in the often misunderstood whispers of our inner voice. Echoing Tina Zion's perspective, we confront the challenges of distinguishing between the imagination and authentic spiritual connections, recognizing the need for practice and patience. Karen reassures us that each one of us has a spirit team, a comforting notion during life's tumultuous storms. The chapter weaves through the personal narratives of those seeking to strengthen their intuition and the gentle revelation of spirit guide names, gently reminding us that discovery unfolds in its own sacred time.

Our conversation then shifts to the luminous shield of protection that envelopes those who interact with the spirit realm. We ponder the concept of spiritual safeguarding and how a spirit team acts as a vigilant guardian for those working with light. The dialogue highlights the importance of tapping into our internal guidance through short meditations, the rejuvenating power of nature, and the indispensability of mentorship in personal development. As we wrap up, Karen offers a guiding hand to those aspiring to connect with their own spirit teams. It's a heartfelt invitation to ignite your spark and let your light shine brightly in a world that often dwells in shadows. So tune in, and let's travel this spiritual path together.

If you are enjoying the podcast, I hope you will take time to rate, subscribe and comment so that we can create more shining lights everywhere.

Shine on!

Karen Docherty:
https://www.karendocherty.com/

Kim:
https://www.kimduffselby.com/

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:05

Welcome back, sparklers, to another episode of Ignite your Spark. I'm your host, kim Duff Selby. Now, I know that you all know, if you're used to listening to me, that I love interviewing psychics, mediums, all of those people who work in the realm that is unseen. Maybe, if you don't believe, maybe you will believe by the end of this podcast or after listening to a few more of my interviews. But there is so much more out there in the world than we can see. I mean, really, how do you think this universe was created? It's all magic, it's all miracles, it's all spirit. So I want to welcome today my guest, karen Docherty, and I hope I pronounced that right. I forgot to ask you.

Speaker 2: 0:54

No, you did, you did, thank you.

Speaker 1: 0:57

To Karen, a medium and a mentor, and we'll go into her background and how she got to speaking with spirit and what brought her to this place of healing others and helping others. Thank you so much for joining me, karen, I really appreciate it.

Speaker 2: 1:15

Thank you for the invite, Kim. It's my pleasure.

Speaker 1: 1:17

I want to ask you the question I ask all my guests how do you ignite your spark?

Speaker 2: 1:23

It's a great question and I don't think it's something. I don't think it's a question that many people ask. You know, in the normal day to day rumble of life, but how I ignite mine really is connecting to spirit. It's all about connecting to the higher self, connecting within that power, but also the power of the spirit to Great.

Speaker 1: 1:45

I mean because that's what you do, obviously, as your chosen profession at this time, and I'm sure you weren't always a medium. Well, you probably were always a medium, but didn't use your gifts. What got you started into this arena in your life at this time?

Speaker 2: 2:04

Well, you're correct. I mean, there was many times over my life that obviously I've worked in other areas, mainly in the care profession. But really from a young child I was able to see spirit. But I didn't know that I was a medium. It only came to light, sort of later teenage years where I would hear lots of voices, lots of people speaking to me. I would see spirit more and more and it became so overwhelming for me that I actually went to talk to a medium about it.

Speaker 2: 2:34

And I had always been drawn to mediumship. I had read mediumship books at the age of 10 and watched mediums on TV and such like and in the local churches here in the UK. But I didn't know I was one. I just felt that I was seeing them but so did everyone else. So it wasn't really until a bit later in my teenage years, maybe early 20s, that I actually discovered that actually this was my purpose and it felt like the penny dropped. It kind of felt like oh, this is me, this is home, and from that moment on really I've just worked spirit. It's just kind of spirit led, taken off from there.

Speaker 1: 3:17

And what did you do to increase your mediumship capabilities? Did you take classes? I assume you did, and how did that unfold itself?

Speaker 2: 3:30

Yes, I done some development. I started by sitting with what we call a home circle, which are quite popular in the UK. I don't know if they're popular everywhere, but in the home circle it's almost like the old fashioned or old traditional way to really develop yourself and, within that circle, obviously learn about spirit. You create that foundation of knowledge and just really letting your own gifts unfold before you. And I went from there to then going to the Arthur Finlay College in London, which is world renowned for mediumship, and listening to some of the teachers there, the tutors, and kind of being taken under their wing as well, and I was able to then further develop from there.

Speaker 1: 4:17

Yeah, so many of my guests have attended Arthur Finlay College. I was like I want to go there. I think it sounds fascinating, like Hogwarts sort of.

Speaker 2: 4:27

That's exactly what it looks like. That's what I've heard.

Speaker 1: 4:31

There are that I know of mediumship circles and development circles are not as popular. I'm sure they're around in the US, but all of my UK guests, every single one of them. That's how they started and they still lead them and I'm thinking I want that. That's so fascinating, such a great way. Now I know that your goal is to heal people. Talk to us a little bit about why and how you heal people through your mediumship capabilities.

Speaker 2: 5:00

So healing is what mediumship is for Really. That is the form of mediumship, you know. Bringing healing for those in grief, bringing evidential proof that life goes on, heals the person that's looking for that. But it also heals person who has crossed over because, although we know where we are when we go over to the spiritual realms, we know that that is home, we know that we have come from there, we understand what the whole cycle has been about, but we still grieve for our physical life in some way. We still want to hug our children, we still want to, you know, have a cup of coffee with our loved ones and just do the everyday things.

Speaker 2: 5:38

So there's healing that has to take place on the spirit side and there's healing that has to take place for the people that are left behind. And I know that when I work with spirit and bring that communication forward, the one thing I always notice is how much better the spirit person feels energetically because they've been able to make that communication, but also how their loved one, you know, leaves me after that feeling either upliftment or healing, or joy, or, you know, even if it's been a very emotional session, and likewise, from a psychic link to you know, if you connect with someone about their own life and that is a psychic link. You still heal through that process because you're helping someone with guidance. So for me that's. You know it covers every aspect of what people are looking for.

Speaker 1: 6:25

Is that what most people come to you for is connection with past loved ones, because I know there are mediums and there are psychics and people go to them for advice and counseling. And then there are those, such as yourself, who primarily get in touch with past loved ones. Is that where you find the majority of your clients falling?

Speaker 2: 6:45

Yeah, it's a bit of a mixture at times, but I love. My love is to work with those who have crossed over, because I feel that it's something that's really important. It's something that was very natural to me, so for that makes me feel like I'm in my element when I'm doing that. Of course, I do the psychic work too, which I know helps people, and I'm happy to do it. But yes, primarily the spirit world seemed to send people to me that it's more about the communication.

Speaker 1: 7:13

And I had never heard what you had said prior to my last question. I had not heard that it also heals the souls who have passed over. I, in my many, many years of knowing and studying this business, I didn't realize that. I just assumed when a spirit passed they went into this glorious space and, yes, looked down or you know, we say down but looked at their past relationships or families with love, but I did not realize that they still had that longing that we have who are left behind. So that's really interesting. So what you do is healing them as well as healing those on the earth plane.

Speaker 2: 8:02

Yeah, because if you think about it you know it is a wonderful place. They do know that there's not the pain there is here on the earth and there's not the I suppose the toughness there. So they do know that they are loved and safe and they're in a wonderful place. But you know a parent will always want to hug their children. You know a spouse will always want to bring that love to their partner and such like.

Speaker 2: 8:27

So that longing is there for that. And it's also about them looking for their person and to try and make sure their person is okay. So as a medium, I know that when someone connects with me, when someone books me for a reading, I know that their loved one in the spirit side has brought that around so that they can have that communication, so that their person is taking care of. So I always say to spirit afterward you know, thank you for allowing me to do that. I am very blessed and I am very honored. But also I know that I need to make sure that they're happy with how I've left their person here in this world, because that's really what it's all about.

Speaker 1: 9:05

That's really a beautiful way of phrasing it and I'd not heard that before. As I said, and when you work with someone who, as a mentor because you also do mentorship are you mentoring people who wish to connect with spirit, or are you and or are you mentoring people to unleash and enhance their intuitive abilities themselves?

Speaker 2: 9:32

Yes, it's more to help people who wish to unlock those and kind of develop either their psychic senses or their mediumship or both. Also, there's personal development in there as well, because I do think that the foundation for understanding spirit and mediumship is personal development understanding who you are, understanding where you are, your higher self and what it means and what your connection is. So all of that comes under that umbrella and it was important to me to do the mentorship because when I started, although I could go to the Arthur Finley College, it wasn't like it was, you know, an everyday thing and it wasn't like I had someone on call to ask questions of. So for me, I want to mentor my students so that they can call me at any time, ask me questions, so that they're not stuck and I really feel that that's important within someone's journey.

Speaker 1: 10:25

Yeah, I keep getting this hit to ask about intuition and accessing our own intuition. I've talked to a lot of people who say how important it is and how easy it is. We just have to try it and listen. And one of my guests, tina Zion I don't know if you're familiar with her, but she's a very well known medical medium who also teaches it now and she said you will always feel like it's your imagination and do you agree with that? And how do we know that it's real and not our imagination?

Speaker 2: 11:02

Yeah, I mean, I completely agree with that, because when you are seeing things or you have visions, whether it's, you know, even a feeling, your mind is a very powerful place and your imagination is a powerful place. So you do tend to think, yeah, but is that me or is that them? And, you know, is that question all the time. But I just think that the more you develop your mediumship and psychic skills, the more you become aware of what is you. And there will be times and I say this to all my students there will be times that your imagination still kicks in, because that's what your mind is designed to do it's designed to give you an answer. If you go looking for someone's name, for instance, in the spirit world, your mind's going to throw out 10 names, because your mind is trying to give you an answer. So it's about differentiating what is you, what is them, and that takes time and practice.

Speaker 1: 11:53

Okay, speaking of that, I have another question how? What does value魅ering mean? Yeah or dis? ட Ч к х А Bu 중len в платье? Not many веро attain, honestly. Wheelchair, can we, or is it important to access names of guides and angels? I'm not talking about those who have passed, because they are clearly named, but those in the spirit realm. Now, I've heard varying things, like it is important to know the names of those with whom you work because it brings energy to them when you call their name or speak their name, but I've also heard it doesn't really matter, because names don't matter. Thoughts, please.

Speaker 2: 12:29

Yeah, I agree with the fact that it's not important. I would say and I do say to my students, you don't have to go looking for your guides or your spirit team. They will make themselves known when they feel the time is right, so don't obsess about that. I think there is a big obsession at times with knowing who it is, where they're from, what their background is, and I just say, let it happen. And that's what happened with me meeting some of my guides.

Speaker 2: 12:54

I didn't go looking for it, but they gave me information that I could research, which all then fell into place and made sense, which was mind blowing, because I'm a very evidential person, so I'm also what I call a skeptical medium. So I want to. How do I prove that? What is that for? How did that come? So they gave me this kind of jigsaw puzzle of information which, when it was put together, was mind blowing. So it ended up that I did know the name of one of my main spirit workers and then, since then, other ones have come in and introduced themselves to me.

Speaker 2: 13:27

So for me, I love the fact that I know their names, but I don't know all of their names. There's many, many more that I haven't even met yet, so it doesn't worry me, I don't go looking for it. And I would say to any listeners you know, don't go looking. If it comes, that's fine, because sometimes again your imagination will kick in and you will put a name to that guide. That's maybe not important, but if it makes you feel closer, then albeit to yeah, I think that's really interesting.

Speaker 1: 13:54

It's something that I've always wondered, because when I was little and my mother was a spiritualist and I was told the names of my guides I don't know in seances or something, and I believe they're still with me. And the thing I would love to get across to people is that you are never alone. There is always a team working with you. Sometimes, when I'm in my yoga class, I'm like there's just a lot of energy around here and I know that every single person, even if you don't think they do. I just don't know how to tell people that you're not alone. And you know, my parents passed when I was in my twenties and I was an only child and I don't think if I had this knowledge, I would have been able to be as strong as I was and able to get through it. So I just wanted everybody to know you're not alone.

Speaker 2: 14:42

I do know I agree as well. You know, I think that people find it hard to understand it and I think that people in general think, oh, mediums have got a spirit team or people that work in that environment have a spirit team. But we all have a spirit team and it doesn't matter what we do in our lifetime, we all have that to tap into. And that's why I feel it's important to bring knowledge about the higher self, because you connect with yourself first on a higher level, and then your spirit team and your helpers and guides and such like. And you know you're right too about I agree with you about, you know, not feeling alone and knowing having that knowledge. And we lucky to have that knowledge of not being alone. Because sometimes I hear people talk and I think if only you knew or if only you believed, then I know it would help you. But it is a very personal thing and people have to kind of come to that conclusion sometimes for themselves.

Speaker 1: 15:38

Yeah, and there are so many people out there who believe that when you die, that's it, boom, bottom line. And I have a really hard time. I don't try to convince people because you can't. And without evidence and I'm not an evidential medium, even though I've taken a class in it I'm not going to be able to convince just some person who believes ashes to ashes, dust to dust, that's it, bottom line Done. And I wish I could, but that's not my job. It's my job to shine a light on people such as yourself who are doing that. And that also brings me to the question I know a lot of people have for medians, and I have asked other people this. But I'm gonna ask you this as well how do you turn it on and off and how do you access them when you want to, and how do you not access them? You know, if you're walking around, you go into a hospital, say, to visit someone. Well, there's a lot of dead spirits in there. How do you keep them at bay? Mm-hmm.

Speaker 2: 16:42

Yeah, it is a question I get asked and really it is about an awareness. So when I go to work with spirit, I just it's almost like I just turn my awareness to them. So it would be like if you were watching TV and you were fixated on a film and the kids were behind you making a noise, you would hear the kids, but you wouldn't be focused on the kids, you would be watching your movie and then if you turned your awareness to the children, you would hear them more and the movie would be in the background. And that's kind of what it's like for me. It's more like I put my awareness to the spirit side. I hear them. If I switch my awareness to this life, then I'm in this life and it's not to say I still don't feel them around, but I'm not actively interacting with them at that point in time.

Speaker 2: 17:27

And when you go to places like hospitals, I feel the energy in a hospital more than anywhere else. It's something that I've always felt. So you do feel the energy of everyone that's in there because, remembering that, although there's a lot of people that have passed through hospital conditions, there's also a lot of spirit there healing their people. So they're bringing healing to their loved ones. So there's lots and lots of energy in places like hospitals. So in that essence, I do come away from a place like that feeling very tired and drained and really really quite down. So then I have to rejuvenate myself by, you know, going to the shops, watching TV, speaking to the kids, whatever it takes, to kind of reground myself again. But it is an awareness and it is there. But I think I would be lost without it, Kim. I feel like I would be a little bit like oh, you know, I look for that connection.

Speaker 1: 18:17

Right, right, I want that connection. I mean, I do feel it, but I don't not like you. So it is a gift, obviously, a gift that you have developed as well and you. I assume I know the answer to this, because energy is energy, but you work with people virtually right.

Speaker 2: 18:41

Yes, yes, I do, and I've done that for like many years. But I think particularly through the pandemic as well, when things were happening and everyone had to go online, I think it became even more prevalent. But I know here in Scotland particularly people did not like it. They didn't like going online for things like readings, because they felt like you should be in the same room. But what I try to explain to people is it is energy. I'm connected to the higher energy of the spirit people. They don't need to be in the same room as you and I also can psychically link with you even if you're not here. It would be the same as linking with someone in Australia through a reading. You know it's just the same thing when you connect with someone on Zoom?

Speaker 1: 19:22

how do you or however it is, because I know there's so many different clairs that you can use what is your primary clear that you do see or feel, or a combination of all of the above, like when I look at you? You know, I know some people can look and see, or as and orbs, and all of that you know. I just was curious how you connect.

Speaker 2: 19:45

Yeah, I basically my biggest thing initially is clear sentience, which is feeling, but really it's a mixture of everything. So as I begin my reading, I will feel the spirit world step in. I will feel the person sitting in front of me on the screen and get into it that way, and then, as that kind of builds up, I will then start hearing things and seeing things and having visions and maybe see the auric field beside the person. So it kind of just depends on how the spirit person is also communicating at that point, because I might have a lady that communicates very well, clear audience, given me her voice, and I might have somebody else there that can only really give me vision. So it really depends with every individual. But really I use all the senses when I work.

Speaker 1: 20:28

Okay, that's really interesting because not everybody does. I know, Mm-hmm, when you start your day, I'm sh, I don't know. I was gonna say I'm sure you do a meditation or a practice to protect yourself. Do you do something like that to protect yourself from random dead people hanging around?

Speaker 2: 20:50

I actually don't, and I know that that might not be popular, because I feel that that's a thing that most people will do. But the way that I do it is really just the minute I go open up my day, sort of thing, I'm always right away speaking to spirit, within my own mind anyway, and saying, okay, so what's on today? And having that chat, and really I always then before I work, will say I work for the highest of good at all times. Let us work in the light together. So for me, that's really all that's needed for me. But I do know that some people have their own ritual that they go through and all that. It's just never been something that I felt that I had to do.

Speaker 1: 21:30

Yeah, I just was curious because I do know other people who have done that. All right, here's a question about dark spiritual forces, because I have been told by more than one person practitioner that I attract that because they're trying to take my light and I have been told to say things to get rid of them. What's your take on that?

Speaker 2: 22:00

My take on that is particularly for you is that you are light and I don't. It's not that I'm let me answer this right. It's not that I'm saying that there aren't negative. You know energies and things like that, but personally I would never feel that they would be trying to take your light. I feel that when you work in the light, which you do, you're automatically protected from that. Your spirit team will know that You're. I mean, if our spirit team isn't going to protect us from that, then who else is going to do that? They surely can protect us from that more than we can protect us from that. So in that essence, it's not something I've experienced. It's not something that I would feel particularly for you, because I know, even speaking to you, connecting with you, that you're a massive light for the spirit world. So for me, I don't get the dark side of it for you at all.

Speaker 1: 22:54

Just interesting, just curious, because I know there's a lot of talk out there especially now as more and more people are coming into the awareness of the light and bringing light to others that there are people who talk about underlying dark forces too, and I don't focus on that at all. I just am serious about it because I do believe that we all need to come into the light now and that's why there are so many more people such as yourself that are being lifted up, that are being focused on that. I'm sure that's why I was prompted to start this almost four years ago, just to it was time to bring light. Because of the pan-darkness and all that, everybody was feeling a little out of sorts.

Speaker 2: 23:39

And I think as well. Tv does a good job at times of promoting the darker side of things and it's easy to get sucked into that, it's easy to believe in that and it's all entertainment really. So I think with podcasts like this one and other ones similar, it is about focusing on the light and showing people that it's okay and it helps people. So I think that's amazing.

Speaker 1: 24:05

Well, I think that's your bottom line. If I understand it, you are here to help and heal people. That's your goal on life. I'm glad you're here and I'm glad you're helping raise up and heal others. Before we end, is there anything else that you feel inspired to share with my listeners that might help them on their own personal development journey?

Speaker 2: 24:28

I would say that anyone listening that is on that journey that, even not in a mediumistic way, even just, like you say, in a personal way, is to draw upon that power within, because I know that people look outside for it. I get people coming to me all the time that need me to help them with their direction or need me to guide them, and I always say the same thing. You do know that you have this inner sat nav that is your soul, that is going to tell you the right way to go. The problem with that is that our ego comes in and wants to do what it wants to do and doesn't always listen for what the need of the soul is. So it's about, kind of, even through meditation, even for five minutes People think meditation needs to take an hour, it doesn't. Five minutes a day, ten minutes a day or a walk in nature will clear the cobwebs away and allow you to connect with that inner power.

Speaker 1: 25:22

If you can do that, then you can guide yourself through your life in a much more positive way, thank you, and it's very challenging to do that for some of us who are type A, people who go, go, go. It's very challenging. I have said this before, but I'll get some of these inspirations when I'm vacuuming or cleaning. When you take that side of your head away, you're like I need to do that or I choose to do that. But I mean, I'm a big believer and I've reached out to all sorts of people, because you sometimes want confirmation and you also want guidance and assistance, which is why you do mentorship too, because we do need assistance. Some of us are not very good at accessing it ourselves, so it's important to work with someone who can help us so that we can then move on, find our light, find our intuition and move on, because I like help.

Speaker 2: 26:17

Yeah, exactly, and that is what it's all about. You've said it there in a nutshell it is about helping someone find the steps on their journey, or being part of that in the sharing of your own experience, and it's not about someone being an expert on something. It's really about just letting someone who's already been there or who's went through it share that with you just to help you in some way find your own feet with it. And really, from a genuine medium's point of view, that's really what I want to do with people who I mentor.

Speaker 1: 26:48

Wonderful. How can people find you, Karen?

Speaker 2: 26:51

You can find me at KarenDocartycom. Everything's on there.

Speaker 1: 26:56

Oh great, I love it when it's easy and there's one name and it's your name and it's not standard beyond the consciousness of life. Into this I agree. Simplify, yes, exactly Well, thank you so much, karen. I really appreciate your time from Scotland today.

Speaker 2: 27:14

You're so welcome. Thank you so much for having me as well. It's been a pleasure.

Speaker 1: 27:18

It really has my pleasure and I'll tell you all out there in listener land. I hope that your spark has been ignited by Karen and her beautiful accent, because I know that those of us in America think your accent's really cool. I know that there are spirits around all of you listening, even if you don't believe it or you don't know it, and I do hope that a little bit of light has entered into your life after listening to. Ignite your Spark and you know what I want to say. Go out, ignite your spark and thank you for shining your light and if you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave a comment, send me a note, rate it. Give it a five star rating, like you would your Uber driver If they were good. If I had a bottle of water, I'd give it to you so that you'd give me a five star rating. But thank you for tuning in and I'll see you next time. Shine on incoln Olympics and everything's going your way.