We are heart broken when we lose someone who means the world to us. We feel lost, abandoned, confused, incomplete, helpless, unsure how to act or even be. People who are grieving reach out to Mediums for help in contacting loved ones. I am always glad to work with the Other Side on behalf of seekers to see if their loved ones are ready to communicate and have messages. Yet the greatest blessing I can offer is to give clients suggestions and tools for directly communing with dear ones who are in Spirit. Below are some ideas I have found effective.

1. Souls who have left this world require a period of adjustment. They have left their earthly form and need to discover how to exist in their new state of being. They need to figure out how to reach back into this world. So don’t be discouraged if earthly time must pass before you can establish contact.
2. Because of this, I often use an Intermediary, another Spirit on the other side that I trust, to find the loved one we are seeking. My main Spirit Guide for this purpose is named Dee. You might try asking a person you know and loved in this life to help. Like a grandparent, a friend, teacher or mentor. They might be able to report on the recently deceased to tell you they are fine and still finding their way. Or they might have a specific message. Also, relatives and friends often come to guide the dying person across. If you know who these souls might be, you might reach out to them.
3. There are so very many ways that loved ones in spirit might talk to us! We tend to expect something very specific and concrete, often visual or a distinct voice. This is not usually the way it happens although it can be. Here are a few things to look for:
4. Repeating symbols. There are things people especially love and enjoy in life. To let us know that they are near, they might send examples of these things. For instance, my grandmother Esther was a wonderful baker. I smell gingerbread or Swedish holiday bread or the sweet peas she loved to grow when she is beside me. A friend of mine’s mother was an avid bird watcher. She even traveled to foreign countries to observe exotic species of avians. My friend finds feathers in all sorts of even unlikely places at weird times. She knows these are from her mother. So you might make a list of things your Beloved enjoyed or collected. If you see examples of these things, especially 3 or more, you can feel assured they are signs for you. This can even be words or phrases or pieces of music. You will likely encounter them when you least expect and in the strangest situations! My mother played piano and when I hear certain songs especially “Canadian Sunset” and “Ebb Tide” – she also loved the ocean and sunsets – I know she is with me.
5. Conversely, Spirit might send things that YOU love or loved together. Remember, their love is still inside you, an intrinsic part of you forever. And your love is still inside their being, even the pure soul they are now. So you might receive unexpected ‘gifts’ from them, things that you especially value and enjoy. My mother sends me agates in unusual places. My dear friend Jess sends rainbows and spectrums not just in the sky and rain but at the edges of mirrors, in any sort of glass, in the coats of animals, I can’t even count all the ways.
6. Dreams and dreaming is another way our loved ones can return to us. Our dreams can be very confusing and strange. I differentiate between regular dreaming and dream-visions. An ordinary dream might include my mother but in a vision-dream she will really look at me or say something I know she would have said in life. I wake with a vivid recollection – although all dreams fade fast. I keep a notebook in the bathroom where I can immediately write down important aspects of dreams. Some people put a possession of the person that want to commune with under their pillow.
7. Keeping a journal. Since we tend to be forgetful and we tend to rationalize away or downplay object and events that might be signs, I recommend keeping a journal of ways in which our Loved Ones might be communicating with us. You don’t need to write every day – or in complete sentences or with proper spelling. You can sketch. This book is for you alone. If you do note down when extraordinary things occur and re-read your notes months or years later, the patterns become clear. You see how many conversations have happened!
8. Ask. As in life, don’t ever be afraid to ask. Reach out to your dearest and tell them you want to hear from them. Tell them how much you love and miss them. You can do this out loud or from your mind and heart. You might not get a reply immediately, but one will come in time. It might be a feeling – like a breeze or a hand on your shoulder. It might be a flood of intense warmth and deep contentment. It can be anything and you will learn the response, your own intimate method of connecting.

When I do a Mediumship Reading for someone, I like to first examine their palm to determine their tendencies and talents and how they might best receive communication. Also to find what their path in life might be now as they operate as themselves but also to do great things to honor their loved one who has passed. I do a brief Tarot reading for the same reason – usually 3-5 cards. Then I sit in my Power to see what I might receive directly from the deceased or through my Guides. Finally, I lead a meditation for both myself and the client to bring us to a level where we might experience some aspect of the Soul on the Other Side.