Shenanigans in the Shadows

Laura Westfall, a psychic medium, discusses psychic abilities and ancestral communication. She shares her experiences discovering her psychic powers, including dreams coming true and hereditary influences. Laura explains the significance of honoring ancestors, particularly during October festivals like Dios de los Muertos and the Hungry Ghost Festival. She highlights setting up altars and traditions worldwide, including Ireland's influence on Halloween. Laura also recounts impactful readings she has conducted, emphasizing emotional revelations and accuracy in her predictions. Have you ever wondered what it's like to actually hear energy? Welcome to Shenanigans in the Shed. We're your hosts, Carly Kreiser and Gail Conners. And on this first episode, we're going to speak with Laura Westfall, you know, psychic and medium, and the language of spirits. So welcome to the inaugural podcast that is with In The Shadows Paranormal. I'm Gail Conners, I'm your host. And with me today, I have a very special guest because I've known her longer than dirt, I think. My guest is Laura Westfall, who is a psychic medium, a shaman, Tarot reader, internationally known, and it's exciting to have her on the first ever podcast. So why don't you introduce yourself a little, Laura, and talk a little bit about your background because I'm going to be asking you questions. Absolutely. Thank you so much, Gail. I really appreciate you for honoring me with being the inaugural experience of your fabulous podcast. I'm so excited for you. Thank you so much. So what I would say is, well, I'm sitting in our hometown, Pueblo, Colorado, which brings me back to some really interesting memories. I've been a psychic since I can remember. I was going to get you there. Yeah. Basically, I teach tarot reading. I also teach, currently I'm teaching ancestor veneration and communication. I'm currently writing a book, and I read tarot cards and do divinations for several people all around the country, and I also read as a guest reader around the country at different stores in different states. Well, gosh, I wish you lived closer. I think you would. I live in Sarasota, Florida, so if anybody would like to have readings, I am available there for readings regularly. And I can put information up to you as well. Yes, on my website, and on my website, I have links to the different stores and the different events I have on a regular basis. So I have a bunch of questions to ask you, but I wanted to go back to one thing that you said a few minutes ago. It was something I wasn't familiar with. Veneration and communication? Veneration, yes. Yes, okay. So this actually brings me to the time that we find ourselves within right now. Today is towards the end of October, and so the end of October, around the world, many cultures celebrate festivals that celebrate the sinning of the veil and the honoring of ancestors and the dead. And so this is the time that I personally love. This is probably my favorite time of the year because if you really want to open yourself up to the experience of really starting a divination practice, this is the perfect time to do it. And it is something that is really honoring and loving, and it really takes the boo out of the season. It's a little less scary because it comes from a tradition of acknowledging your ancestors. And so I would say, for example, if you go to Mexico, you have the Dios de los Muertos, which is fantastic. In China, they have the Hungry Ghost Festival. So I mean, it is truly, there's several cultures that have different types of festivals that are celebrated around this time, especially in the Northern Hemisphere. And so if you're looking at this timeframe, you're looking at finding things that connect you with your ancestors. And it also gives you this sense of connecting with them in many forms. So some people in different cultures, they'll do what's called a dumb feast or a silent supper where you will prepare the favorite food of your loved one, and they welcome, and basically you give honor to the people that you've loved, who've passed on. And a lot of people do that for what we call Halloween, which is wonderful. And so the other thing that's also really lovely is to set up a beautiful altar with their images. And what that really does is it shows a sense of respect and love for where you came from. Do they have anything in Ireland? They do. They absolutely do, yes. They do have, the entire tradition of talent comes from Ireland. In fact, that's why we celebrate Halloween in the U.S. And so, but yeah, that's where it all started from, was from Ireland. That's why we celebrate it in the United States, actually, because a lot of people here are Irish descent. Oh, yeah. Mm-hmm. Go to the church. Mm-hmm. So one question I wanted to ask you, it's all the time I've known you, I don't think I've even asked you this question. Mm-hmm. One, how did you first discover you had psychic abilities? And when you do get an impression, how does it come into you? How do you feel? Mm, okay. Really interesting question. So my great-grandmother was psychic. And so when I was very little, I remember in my family, we just had a tradition that sometimes we just didn't talk about certain things. Mm-hmm. I was told this that when my great-grandfather passed, my grandmother knew before anyone told her, you know, quite a bit before. And so, and I would say that I don't have, and it's always so funny whenever I say something and people are like, aren't you psychic? And I'm like, well, yes, but it's generally about important things. So it's funny when I usually, I always know when something's going on that's a major thing. So I would say that the first time I really remember something that was like, okay, this is real and this is a little bit like hair standing up on your arm kind of thing was when I was probably around, I think I was probably four or five and I would have dreams of things. And usually within a day or so, they'd come true. It was multi-sensory. So it would be the seeing, the sense, the physical impression, sometimes emotional impression. One time I had this one where I felt like I was being, not to get graphic, I felt like I was being smothered. And within a day, I was at a cousin's house and I had a cousin literally smothering me with a pillow when we were playing. And of course, in that side of my family, we're quite rough with play. So I literally felt like I was, you know, suffocating and of course, somebody pulled my cousin off of me and we were fine. But having said that, that was one of the first times that I was like, okay, this is, you know, this is real. And then I remember a little older, I would have a dream of an exact impression of something. Like I would see, like in a dream one time, I dreamed that I saw this rock sitting beside a river and I knew that that was important because, I don't know, I had some kind of impression. And then the next morning, I went on a trip and I saw the exact rock beside the exact river and one of my friends that I went with had just fallen into said river. See, that's the moment most people would run screaming and she just leans in. My great grandmother did not read tarot cards like I do. I mean, the only thing I think she ever read from my knowledge is playing cards because my grandmother was a very devout Christian and so she went to church and then she'd come home and she'd read for her friends. So, basically, psychic powers are hereditary. I was wondering about that. That's pretty cool. That's pretty cool. Like, what a thing to receive. I mean, I have led toys from my grandmother's travels. That's pretty cool. When she passed, I was about, it was 1989, so I was about 11 when she passed. So, I was pretty young when she passed. And then, so after that, I would say when I was a little older, I kind of randomly got into, just a friend of mine bought me a tarot deck for fun. And I went to a sleepover and, of course, you know how girls are at sleepovers. You know, they start delving. And I think I was probably two years old. When I was in high school, I dabbled a little bit. But, you know, they kind of freaked me out and they really do work, in case you're curious and you haven't worked with one of them before. They really do work but they are kind of tied to lower level energy. So, if you are curious, it is not the best way to go. But I was given a tarot deck and the first time I, I was just messing around with them and I read for a friend and everything I said came true and they were just like, wow, you should really do that more. And so, throughout, I would say middle school, high school, college, it just kind of grew, you know. And it is funny when you try to avoid what you are meant to do. So, I went to school for the arts and I would read on the side for gas money and food money because I was poor. So, it is funny. And then, eventually, I just got more and more into it and people would just continuously ask me. And so, that is how I got into it eventually. And then, I would say that 9-11 was a big thing for me too. I kind of, the entire trajectory of my life changed on that day because I was in New York at the time. Yes. Yes. And so, when that happened, I realized that the arts were just not for me. I love the arts. I am a huge fan now. But I should not be involved just because I really needed to put my focus towards something that mattered to me. So, have you ever had a message or anything, a reading, that just really either shocked you or surprised you or an emotional revelation of any sort for you? Several. So, the first one, and neither of them are yours. So, one of them, I know, one of them would be my friend, we'll call her Ann. Again, I've probably been reading for her for a good 25 years or so. And one of the readings I gave her, and this would have been around maybe 2000, 2001 or so, and I was doing a reading for her. And sometimes, I'll get a reading where I'll just feel this emotional shift. And frankly, at the time, I was like a 26-year-old little white girl. You know what I mean? And to be frank, that goes so far with some people. So, having said that, no matter how much I can glean from higher self, it just doesn't come across in the same way sometimes. Sometimes, people will say to me things like, well, when will this happen? When will that happen? And I'll get February 23rd, this is the date. And it will be exactly like that. And sometimes, if I'm not the best messenger, I will be told that. So, in this particular instance, yes. So, in this instance, the person I'm reading for is a good 10 years older than me. She's a woman. I'm reading for her. And at one point, I had this impression in my mind. I said, I'm not allowed to tell you this. And she said, what? And I said, well, here's the thing. I'm not allowed to tell you this, but I'll tell you who will. And she's like, okay. And I said, so, here's what's going to happen. You're going to be approached by someone. His name's going to be Daniel. Okay? And when he approaches you, he is going to say to you the message that if I were to tell you, you would not get it. And now, you have to also take into consideration this woman is in her mid-30s. She's an ex-Texas cop. And here I am, having just left, like, a Buddhist ashram kind of dynamic. I am not someone who... And so, she's thinking, okay. And here I am, a tarot reader, and a cleric and all that jazz. And she's like, hmm, okay. And I said, I've got the perfect thing. I said, okay, this person's going to approach you. They're going to approach you in a couple of days. And when this happens, you're not going to like this conversation. This person's going to make you a little uncomfortable. Once that happens, you probably know you've got the right person. And she said, well, how am I going to know I'm looking at the right person? And I said, you know what I'm getting? I'm getting a big, flashing, neon pink, like, peace sign. Like a peace sign. Okay? And she goes, that's what you're getting? And I said, yeah. I'm getting a big, neon peace sign. So, when you get that neon peace sign in your face, you know you found the right person. And so, she calls me the following Saturday. And, of course, I work a lot. So, I didn't get a chance to talk to her initially. She calls me. She calls me. She goes, Laura, I need to tell you what happened. So, she was at the store with her two young sons. Okay? She's at, like, a grocery store. And so, she's there. And she's pushing her little son in the cart. And some random, drunk man approaches her. And he goes, hey, I need to talk to you. And she's like, no, you, gosh darn, don't, sir. And she goes, and he keeps following her. And I'm thinking, did this man accost you? And I'm, like, worried for her, my friend. And, of course, knowing who she is, I'm not that worried, but I'm a little worried. Okay? So, then she gets out to the car. And this random, drunk man stops her. And he says, look, you need to hear what I have to tell you. And he goes, I need to tell you you need to stop drinking now. And he goes, I had everything. I used to be a lawyer. I used to be married. I used to have children. And now I have none of that because I was a drunk. Wow. And then as he's walking around, he goes, I hope you have a beautiful day. And he threw her a peace sign. That was something. So, again, she was probably indulging a little bit more. Now, coming from a 26-year-old little white girl, that probably wouldn't have hit it hard. Right. You know? So, that's something that I'd say is surprising. Wow. So, I was doing an exchange with another psychic who I loved. I loved this woman. She was wonderful. I knew her for years and she was a mentor to me. And so, she used to do past life regressions and I would do reads. And so, she, I don't, you know, sometimes when you're a young person and you're a psychic, people kind of assume, oh, they're young and, you know. What does she know? Yeah. You don't know anything. What do you know about life? What do you know about anything? Who does she think she is? Exactly, right? And so, I, and I'm also, I've always been somebody who no matter, I always feel like you know who somebody is no matter how old they are. You know, you can really meet someone and their, who they are generally will speak to you, you know. So, one of the things that happened with that dynamic was, so I did a reading for her and one of the cards that came up for me was the Seven of Cups. Seven of Cups is on the Roderick Smith deck. There's a person and they're facing cups hanging in the air and they're all filled with different things. And in that moment, that to me meant seven children. And so, I said out loud, you have seven children. And she goes, I do. I didn't know this about her of course. I mean, I knew her from a work experience but I never really talked to her about our family life. And so, I told her about each individual child and their children and we talked about all that. And then, we'd gone through all this conversation and then I said, the reason I'm talking about your children right now because I don't read for people who are not sitting in front of me. It's not my place. It's not my thing at all. The only time I get information like this is if you're supposed to know about something that's important. And so, I said, there's going to be a loss in the family and that loss is not going to be in your children's generation. It's going to be in the generation below them. That means one of their children. And when this happens, it's going to happen in M state, either Minnesota or Missouri, excuse me, Minnesota or Michigan. And you have either one of those. Now, frankly, at this point, I had never been to either state. So, usually if I've been to the state, the person is going to be involved in a situation where three people will want to, two or possibly three people will pass. And I'm so sorry because if I didn't tell you about this, you are the matriarch. You're going to pull everybody together. If you don't know about this, then the whole family is going to be torn apart in the last decades. So, you need to know about this now. So, I told her this and I think it was probably, and unfortunately it did happen. And again, reading is generally not telling people about really hard things. You usually don't get that information. That's very rare, exceedingly rare. It's only when, because, again, everybody will pass one day and it's not your place to try to change it, you know. But at the end of the day, it is one of those things where it's very important to give people the perspective of what they need to have to handle things. Yeah. Now, recently, so, part of Michelle's Paranormal is going out and doing ghost-investigation and also helping teach people how to use the equipment. Wonderful. It's, would be really awesome to have somebody who's a sensitive, each one of them, like yourself. Because, even though I taught psychic development, I wouldn't say I'm the best listener of the time. And you really, I mean, you have to listen and you have to be quiet to listen. So, one of the things I've been sharing with people recently is sort of like the evolution of paranormal research and phenomena. I think all people have the ability, I really do, that you're your own best tool. Whether it's clairvoyant, clairsentient, clairaudient, the gadgets just help focus it. So, now that we're going into this incredible evolution of technology and we're getting stuff on phone apps and the EMS meter isn't working and it's not working and it's not working and the EMS meter is a lot of other things, what would you say to people who are using these gadgets? I love the question. So, there's two things I would say that are fabulous to honor what you're saying. Because the first thing I would say is I'm so happy to be alive in this era. If you were to look at even 50 years ago, this is the kind of dynamic that would be shut down by so many people who were so many I want to say negative web-like types of people. So, what I would say, the first thing I would say is in the era of the apps, I would say that there's two dynamics to it. And the one thing that I would focus on and the one thing that I kind of connect with is it really is about the person that you're talking to. 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