As a Medium, I am constantly bombarded with spirits wanting attention – especially those who have not crossed over. Most people call them ghosts. I classify them as an earthbound spirits.

The first time people hear that you’re a medium, they automatically think that you only talk to ghosts. I think it is slightly humorous but, in truth, not everyone works with that energy. Earthbound spirits usually carry heavier energy, because they have not crossed over and cleansed themselves of all of their material baggage. Much of the time they tend to hang around because they may have unfinished business or are just too attached to their personal property.

There are others, though, who just stay to be nosy, kind of like Gladys Kravitz, Samantha’s neighbor on Bewitched. But don’t worry about them looking at you in the bathroom. All they see is the energy we carry, not our physical bodies.

I hear many people say that they think their house is haunted. I ask what is going on that makes them think that. Most of the time, it’s because lights go on and off, they feel cold drafts, or feel as though someone is watching them.

I then ask people if they think their home is haunted. More than half the time they say yes, and they are right. The easiest way to determine if you actually have a haunting is by using your intuition. Some people tell me that they know they have an earthbound spirit in their home, but they don’t mind it. It may be a relative or a past owner of a residence. Some people don’t mind living with them. My philosophy, however, is to get them to the other side. Keeping them here only drains us of our energy, and it’s not a healthy relationship for either the person living or the earthbound spirit.

If you want to stay in contact, you can still have a healthy relationship with them once they cross over. In fact, you may even notice a stronger connection with them, as both their energy and your own is renewed a bit.

How do you cross them over? It’s actually very simple. Usually I just ask Archangel Michael and Raphael to help them over. Sometimes I just let them know that if they find a funeral home, they should be able to find a door to the other side. Spirits often cross over after their funeral so they can see everyone before they leave.

A great way to help them cross over is to visualize a door opening up to a beautiful bright white or golden light. I often use this in conjunction with angelic assistance when I go into a home with many earthbound spirits.

Earthbounds are not here to hurt you. Believe me, you would know if they were. Try having a conversation with them. Hold one of them in your mind. Ask them why they are here. Odds are, they just want to tell you their story.

There are negative earthbound spirits, just as there are negative living beings. I won’t sugarcoat it. They are out there. There are some that you wouldn’t invite into your home, but they can be easily avoided. I have found that the ones that are truly mean either were that way in life or got caught up in negative energy after death and have taken it on. They usually hang out in places where emotions are strong, places where there are a lot of people, like in shopping malls, movie theaters and bars. This gives them more energy.

The easiest way to avoid them is to stay away from such places. If that doesn’t bother you, just surround yourself with the white light, call in your angels for protection and you’ll be just fine.

Earthbound spirits are just like anyone else. You just have to know how to work with them.

In my line of work as a medium and intuitive, I have found that pets are just like humans when it comes to being psychic. They all possess different abilities just like we do, and some don’t use it, just as some of us don’t. I am not an expert pet psychic, but if I need to I can tap into them just like tapping into another person.

But just like humans, they have boundaries, too. So ask them before you tap into them.

Most of my pets have had different abilities. I had a Doberman Pincher that was a healer. She was one of the best healers I know, above humans. When I was a child, if I was ever sick with a cold or had a headache, she would lay down next to me and put her head on my head. Within 15 minutes, my headache was completely gone – or if I was sick, it was only for a day.

Now I have a Pomeranian, and she has the ability to see spirits like I do. We make a great team. I first learned about this after an uncle of mine passed away. I knew he was in our house, in spirit, to check up on us. But what surprised me is that for the next couple days leading up to his funeral, my dog acted odd. She barked in the kitchen at what others saw as nothing, and she sat and stared at what others thought was just an empty spot.

A year later, I did my first ghostbusting. After I came home, my dog was acting the same way, but this time she acted very timidly. As we were getting ready for bed, she started growling at my door and then ran and hid under the pillows. I knew the visiting spirit wasn’t friendly, if it scared her. She was used to spirits and ghosts, and it took a lot to make her growl. So she tried to hide behind me, and I firmly said to the spirit, “You need to leave.” After that, my dog calmed down and went to sleep.

I have many conversations with her to this day. They can talk to us if we are just open to them. Here are some ways to open up communication with your pets:

• Let your heart open to them. Treat them as an equal and not just another pet. They can sense this, and it will draw them closer.
• Play with them or just take time to sit with them and tell them how your day went. Then, let your mind just be open to them. Odds are you will get some kind of response with them, either a physical one or maybe just a simple picture in your head. This might be their advice to you in some way.
• Tell them your secrets, hopes and desires. They are there for you, if you let them. Remember the old saying about a man and his best friend. Our pets want to be friends with us if we let them. They hold so much information that can help us. They are sensitive beings that feel the problems we go through; to them, they are going through things with us.
• Ask them for advice and become friends with them. Eventually you will be able to better understand their needs and wants – and your needs and wants.

Pets are truly a blessing in disguise. Live and learn alongside them, as we do with each other.