Читать книгу The Ghost Whisperer: A Real-Life Psychic’s Stories - Katie Coutts - Страница 6

Introduction: My Story

I was born in Glasgow in 1965, the youngest of three siblings. I believe I ‘inherited’ my psychic ability from my maternal grandmother, my beloved nana. My mum, Annemarie, is also very psychic, although her visions and premonitions come mainly from dreams. Nana was a hard-working lady, Irish by birth and very down-to-earth. She would often read tea leaves, and I still recall her accuracy. She wasn’t a confident woman and she would do this as a favour to family and friends, but I don’t think she ever took her ability seriously. I often wonder how she and I would interact if she were alive today. It’s a great source of regret for me that she’s not here to discuss her beliefs (although I believe Athena, my youngest daughter, is my nana reincarnated).

Although my childhood was happy and secure, I hated school from day one till the day I left. After leaving school I worked briefly as a telephonist, but soon gave birth to my first daughter, Natalie. She was my pride and joy.

When Natalie was four, I met my St Andrews-born husband, and Natalie and I left Glasgow for a new life in Fife. A mere hundred miles away, this place was worlds apart. We settled very quickly and I loved the picturesque village with its stunning views over the River Tay. Within a couple of years, one of my two brothers and my mum had followed me here to Fife, and together we’ve grown to love the area.

During the early years of my marriage, I did many varied jobs, ranging from sales to running my own business. The common denominator was that I was my own boss in every single job. Although I always knew what I really wanted to do, I was loath to follow my dream for some mysterious reason.

I have always been ambitious – a typical Leo trait – but during the early years of motherhood, my main aim was to be a good mother to my beautiful daughter. My happiness was made complete in 1997 when, right out of the blue and much to my shock and delight, I discovered I was expecting my second daughter, the gorgeous and hugely independent Athena. The girls were born exactly 15-and-a-half years apart, both on Thursdays and both at six o’clock.

And, if I had nothing else in my life (except mum of course), I would still be the happiest, proudest person in the world. I have the most beautiful daughters in the universe!

How it All Began

My most famous documented quote is that at the age of six, I suddenly announced Prince Charles would never be king. I don’t personally recall saying this but I’ve been assured I did. I still believe this to be the case.

I was around seven or eight when I had my first psychic experiences. While playing upstairs, I became aware of being watched by a lady. Later I was to learn she was my great-grandmother. I regularly felt a hand on my shoulder or heard my name being whispered. But I was so young I genuinely didn’t think this was anything unusual. I was never afraid. I never knew my granny (my mum’s granny) but I seemed to connect strongly with her and always have done.

As a child I preferred to play with tarot cards than dollies. I had a few experiences with Ouija boards but can remember a couple of frightening incidents. In fact, I haven’t touched an Ouija board since the age of eight. The friends involved, to this day, remember this experience with horror. I would never encourage or endorse the use of Ouija boards to anyone.

At primary school, my friends and I would lark about, telling each other ghost stories, most of them fabricated. Again, I didn’t take any of this seriously, but over the years I’ve been told by old school friends that I used to freak them out with the things I would say. Coincidence or not, many remembered what I said about the future, their marriages, children, careers etc., and much of what I apparently said has come to fruition.

From the age of 14, I began to take my ability a little more seriously. I would read palms, do psychometry and basically just blurt out whatever came into my head.

Then, after many years of being nagged by family and friends to take my ability more seriously and do something with it, I was given a pack of tarot cards as a gift. I loved them and studied them thoroughly, engrossed in their origin and the myths behind each individual card. My passion for Greek mythology was born.

A friend asked me to visit and bring my tarot cards. When I arrived, she had at least a dozen other people waiting for readings. The rest really is history because word of mouth soon spread and my phone began ringing off the hook. That was in 1991 and it hasn’t stopped since!

So What Do I Do?

The one thing I utterly despise is being called a fortune-teller. I’m not really a believer in fortune-telling – seeing the future accurately is not always possible. However, I know there are some very gifted people out there. I’m just terribly aware, and equally saddened by, just how vulnerable the public can be. I am renowned for ‘telling it how it is’ but I would never violate anyone who asked for my help. I’m sickened by those charlatans who prey on the vulnerable, and we all know there are many out there.

I’m often told I am fairly unique in that I don’t ‘predict’, but rather advise clients on how they can kick-start their lives again. Often this advice pertains to career moves, relationships and so on, but can often be as diverse as overcoming phobias and coming to terms with being abused as a child.

A great deal of my work involves healing, which I often combine with a marvellous treatment called laser therapy. This is similar to acupuncture, minus needles.

Someone recently described me as a ‘fate-teller’, which I thought was a rather lovely, fundamental way of summing up exactly what I’m all about. I have the ability to tell my clients what fate intends for them – which path they should be on. I only wish I could do this for myself but, alas, I cannot.

We often use the phrase ‘what’s for you won’t go past you’, but I totally disagree with this. If it were true, none of us would ever be unhappy, dissatisfied or unfulfilled. And I would be out of a job! The truth is, what’s for us goes speeding by all the time, and my job involves telling my clients where they need to be in life and how to make their lives the best they can (and should) be.

In my 13 years as a professional, not one of my clients has ever been surprised by what I’ve told them, even though the majority are not doing what I advise. I think most people would agree that our lives are mapped out for us. I guess I merely point out the woods from the trees and guide my clients onto the path fate intends for them as individuals.

I advise and guide my clients – the rest is up to them. I don’t necessarily take credit for the advice I give them. The way I see it, fate, whom I describe as my boss, shows me the way forward for clients. If they fail to follow the advice then their lives will continue as before – often stagnant, mundane and very much second-best.

My job is similar to that of a doctor in that my clients pose the ‘symptoms’ and I then make a diagnosis and advise them what they must do in order to make it better. If they don’t follow that advice, their lives will not improve.

Fate only ever offers the very best for us. If we want the very best badly enough, then in my opinion it is imperative to follow whatever fate intends for us.

I adore all aspects of the paranormal, even embracing complementary medicines and therapies, but my greatest love is ghosts. I just love to see the pleasure in a bereaved client’s face when I pass on a message proving that their loved ones are with them. It doesn’t always make sense to me but the important thing is that it makes sense to them.

I disagree with most mediums who say there are several different levels or stages to death. I simply believe in heaven and earth. In fact, I believe strongly that heaven is not somewhere ‘up there’ but is in fact simply an unseen parallel of earth. I believe that is how close our dearly departed are to us.