Tarot cards, crystal balls, big jewelry, and vague answers. Like so many things that society has crammed into the “Do Not Understand” file, psychic abilities have been reduced to not much more than a silly scam.
Cold reading, access to social media profiles, just plain good guessing—it’s easy to find reasons why NOT to believe in a person’s ability to look deeper and see more. Especially if they’re seeing more than we want them to…
But each and every one of us has the potential to tap into and trust your intuition. Many of us already have access to psychic abilities and simply don’t realize it. Have you ever simply KNOWN that a friend was going to call you before the phone rings?
What about feeling an ache somewhere on your body and then hearing someone else complain about an injury in that exact spot? Instances like those are examples of intuitive psychic messages. Picking up on and understanding the energies of your environment and energies outside the physical realm is something we all have the ability to do.
Learning to Trust Your Intuition: There are different ways of receiving psychic messages. We call them clairs. The word “clair” is the French-Latin root for the word CLEAR.
Before accessing or beginning to trust your intuition, it’s like the world has been muddied in certain areas. But once you understand the messages you’re receiving and open yourself to their meanings, that veil is lifted. The energies of this world and worlds beyond our own become clearer!
Each clair defines an extrasensory ability, a particular branch of intuition.
If you picture intuition as a big tree, the branches are the clairs and the leaves are each person’s individual way of receiving and experiencing the psychic messages through that clair.
It’s important to remember that everyone’s experience is different. Not every person with the same psychic ability will experience it the same way. Just like any other skill in life, we all have our strengths and challenges. It’s no different with developing and trusting your intuition!
6 Clairs Connected to Your Intuition
Clairvoyance: CLEAR SEEING
Clairvoyance is what most people imagine when they think of a psychic. Experiencing visions! Seeing the otherworldly! Clairvoyance is when you receive psychic messages through images. A clairvoyant person might see things in their mind’s eye or in their physical environment.
Understanding symbolism—and developing your own repertoire of symbols and imagery—can help decipher what might be shown to you. If the image of an animal or plant keeps popping into your mind, start doing some research! Chances are you’re experiencing clairvoyance and it’s time to start paying careful attention to those “random” things you keep thinking about.
A great exercise to improve or tune into your clairvoyance is visualization. Take an object, any object, and place it in front of you. Study it for a moment. Then close your eyes and recreate the object in your mind.
While this may not immediately connect you to anything otherworldly, it will help train your mind’s eye to see with precision.
In Episode 112 of the Moon + Manifest podcast, I talk about my experience with clairvoyance as a small child.
Curious to know what elephants and red glitter have to do with any of that?
Head over to the podcast and listen in!
Clairaudience: CLEAR HEARING
Spoken phrases, music, noises where there should be none —clairaudience is all about hearing what is otherwise unheard. If a person is clairaudient, they’ll receive intuitive and psychic messages through sounds.
Like clairvoyant people, clairaudient people may hear messages in their mind or in the physical world, like a whisper by their ear or music on the radio.
Clairaudience may sound like your own voice or the voice of another. But just like with the other clairs, it’s important to discern whether the message you receive is coming from an outside source or from yourself.
Remember, we’re talking about psychic ability here — not self-awareness. Psychic messages are received from energies outside of yourself.
Clairsentience: CLEAR FEELING
Have you heard of sympathy pain? Sympathy pain occurs when someone witnesses another person experiencing discomfort. The person who feels the sympathy pain may experience it physiologically and/or psychologically.
Remove the visual cue from sympathy pain and you get clairsentience!
Clairsentient people receive psychic messages through tactile sensations. Feel a chill when you enter a room? Neck pain or a sore throat when someone is holding back in communication? Ever shake someone’s hand for the first time and feel instantly comforted or instantly UNCOMFORTABLE? You may be clairsentient!
The next time you find yourself feeling a little off and can’t quite pinpoint why…take a step back and sit with it to strengthen your intuitive trust. Try to identify where the sensation sits in your body so you can trust your intuition. Even ask the feeling, “Why are you here? What do I need to know?” And see what comes up for you!
It may take time to understand the messages you’re receiving. Be patient!
Claircognizance: Clear Knowing
Claircognizance is what many people think of when they hear the word INTUITION. That pull of simply KNOWING something. But this is more than just knowing to avoid a dark alley at night.
This is knowing not to take a turn and later reading about a fatal car crash on that exact street at the exact time you would have been driving. Or knowing that making a certain decision — maybe one that seems harmless on the surface—will create an awful ripple effect for the next few days.
This intuitive psychic knowing can be compared to feeling something “in your gut”—you JUST KNOW. If you’re claircognizant, you’re likely able to asses and understand people and situations with very little to no information provided beforehand.
Clairalience & Clairgustance: CLEAR SMELL & CLEAR TASTE
These two are lesser known psychic abilities but we certainly won’t forget them in our list!
Is it any wonder that psychic scent is a thing when our physical olfactory senses are already so linked to memory and cognition? Clairalience — also called clairscence or clairolfaction — is all about smell! Similar to clairvoyance and clairaudience, a clairalient person may pick up on a scent in the physical world or simply in their mind. Either way, recognizing the message behind the scent is key to developing this clair.
A clairgustant person might taste the favorite food of a loved one who’s passed or experience seemingly random tastes as they go about their day. It’s up to the individual to decipher what that sensation is connected to, what it means, and who’s delivering the message.
Having strong intuitive abilities like these doesn’t come without its challenges. This sense of simply KNOWING something can make it easy to manipulate situations to suit our needs and that’s a big no-no for us Sensitive Souls! We need to be certain that, like with all things in life, we move from a place of truth, integrity, and authenticity.
While it might be tempting to say exactly what you KNOW someone wants to hear or offer advice because you KNOW what’s going on (without having been told)—we must remember, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Thanks, Spiderman.
So remember to set boundaries with YOURSELF as you dive into your intuitive work and innate psychic abilities. If you feel overwhelmed or uneasy with the messages you’re receiving—whether they’re otherworldly or simply a bit TOO intrusive on the lives of those around you—make it clear to yourself and whatever energies you’re working with that you are NOT on call at the moment.
Each and every one of us is magical, and each and every one of us has an ocean of wisdom available to us…if only we’d close our eyes and open our minds.
Which clair do you feel is strongest for you?
Let me know! I’d love to hear from you. Be sure to check out Episode 113 of the Moon + Manifest podcast to hear about how I reclaimed my magic, followed my intuition, and created my dream life!
Lola Elle is a sacred space designer, stylist, spiritual mentor, and wellness retreat leader based in San Diego, California. When she’s not writing, supporting clients, or designing, you’ll find her on her mat or adventuring with her two kids and aviator husband.
