Do you often feel deeply tuned in to the feelings of people around you? Do crowds make you uncomfortable? Would you (or the people closest to you) describe yourself as a sensitive person?

If so, you may be an empath.
Dr. Judith Orloff, a pioneer in the field, describes empaths as those who absorb the world’s joys and stresses like “emotional sponges.”
In her book “The Empath’s Survival Guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People,” she suggests empaths lack the filters most people use to protect themselves from excessive stimulation and can’t help but take in surrounding emotions and energies, whether they’re good, bad, or something in between.
Kim Egel, a San Diego-based therapist, expands this further: “Empaths have a higher sensitivity to outside stimuli such as sounds, big personalities, and hectic environments. They bring a lot of heart and care to the world and feel things very deeply.”
Sounds familiar? Here are 15 other signs you might be an empath.
You have a lot of empathyThe term empath comes from empathy, which is the ability to understand the experiences and feelings of others outside of your own perspective.
Say your friend just lost their dog of 15 years. Empathy is what allows you to understand the level of pain she’s going through, even if you’ve never lost a beloved pet.
But as an empath, you take things a step further. You actually sense and feel emotions as if they’re part of your own experience. In other words, someone else’s pain and happiness become your pain and happiness.
Closeness and intimacy can overwhelm youEmpaths often find frequent close contact difficult, which can make romantic relationships challenging.
You want to connect and develop a lasting partnership. But spending too much time with someone leads to stress, overwhelm, or worries about losing yourself in the relationship.
You might also notice sensory overload or a “frayed nerves” feeling from too much talking or touching. But when you try to express your need for time alone, you absorb your partner’s hurt feelings and feel even more distressed.
But setting healthy, clear boundaries can help reduce distress, Egel suggests. “You must know how to preserve yourself so you don’t get your energy and emotional reserves swallowed up,” she says.
You have good intuition Ever felt like you have a strong gut reaction to things that feel a bit off? Maybe you pick up on dishonesty easily or just know when something seems like a good (or bad) idea.
This may be your empath trait at work.
Empaths tend to be able to pick up on subtle cues that provide insight into the thoughts of others, “An empath’s intuition can read a person’s energy and assist with healing internal conflict- Brigid Curran, Transform your Psyche, your journal to self-discovery
As an empath, you might put a lot of faith in your instincts when making decisions. Although others might consider you impulsive, you’re actually trusting your intuition to guide you to the choice that feels right for you.
You take comfort in natureAnyone can benefit from spending time in natural settings. But empaths may feel even more drawn to nature and remote areas since natural environments provide a calming space to rest from overwhelming sensations, sounds, and emotions.
You might feel completely at peace when hiking alone in a sunlit forest or watching waves crash against the shore. Even a quiet walk through a garden or an hour sitting under trees may lift your spirits, soothe overstimulation, and help you relax.
You don’t do well in crowded places According to Sueskind, empaths can absorb positive and negative energy just by being in someone’s presence. In crowded or busy places, this sensitivity may seem magnified to the point of being almost unbearable.
Egel agrees, adding that “empaths can be easily overwhelmed by feeling everything more intensely.” If you can easily sense how others feel, you’ll likely have a hard time handling the emotional “noise” from a crowd, or even a smaller group of people, for an extended period of time.
When you’re picking up on negative emotions, energy, or even physical distress from people around you, you might become overwhelmed or physically unwell. As a result, you may feel most comfortable on your own or in the company of just a few people at a time.
You have a hard time not caringAn empath doesn’t just feel for someone — they feel with someone.
Taking in others’ emotions so deeply can make you want to do something about them. “Empaths want to help,” Sueskind says. “But this isn’t always possible, which can disappoint an empath.”
You may find it difficult to watch someone struggle and act on your natural inclination to help ease their distress, even if that means absorbing it yourself.
Caring about the suffering of others isn’t a bad thing, but your concern for another’s difficulties can overshadow your care for yourself. This can factor into compassion fatigue and burnout, so it’s essential to save some energy for yourself.
People tend to tell you their problemsSensitive, empathic people tend to be fantastic listeners. Your loved ones may feel comforted by your support and reach out to you first whenever they experience difficulty.
Caring deeply can make it hard to tell people when you approach the point of overwhelm. But it’s important to find a balance. Without boundaries, unchecked kindness and sensitivity can pave the way for “emotion dumps” that may be too much for you to handle at once.
Empaths may also be more vulnerable to manipulation or toxic behaviors. Your earnest desire to help people in distress can leave you unaware of signs of toxicity.
You may have a deeper understanding of the pain fueling their behavior and want to offer support. But it’s important to remember you can’t do much for someone who isn’t ready to change.
You have a high sensitivity to sounds, smells, or sensationsAn empath’s increased sensitivity doesn’t just relate to emotions. There’s a lot of overlap between empaths and people who are highly sensitive, and you might find that you’re also more sensitive to the world around you.
This could mean:

• Fragrances and odors affect you more strongly.
• Jarring sounds and physical sensations may affect you more strongly.
• You prefer to listen to media at low volumes or get information by reading.
• Certain sounds may trigger an emotional response.

You need time to recharge“Heightened sensitivity to other people’s pain can be draining, so empaths may find themselves easily fatigued,” Sueskind says.
Even an overload of positive feelings might exhaust you, so it’s important to take the time you need to reset.
If you can’t escape overwhelming emotions and rest your senses, you’re more likely to experience burnout, which can have a negative impact on well-being.
Needing time alone doesn’t necessarily mean you’re an introvert. Empaths can also be extroverts, or fall anywhere on the spectrum. Maybe people energize you — until you reach that point of overwhelm.
Extroverted empaths may need to take extra care to strike the right balance between spending time with others and restoring their emotional reserves.
You don’t like conflictIf you’re an empath, you likely dread or actively avoid conflict.
Higher sensitivity can make it easier for someone to hurt your feelings. Even offhand remarks might cut more deeply, and you may take criticism more personally.
Arguments and fights can also cause more distress, since you’re not only dealing with your own feelings and reactions. You’re also absorbing the emotions of the others involved. When you want to address everyone’s hurt but don’t know how, even minor disagreements can become harder to cope with.
You often feel like you don’t fit inDespite being highly attuned to the feelings of others, many empaths find it difficult to relate to others.
Others might not understand why you become exhausted and stressed so quickly. You might struggle to understand the emotions and feelings you absorb or feel like you aren’t “normal.” This may lead you to become more private. You might avoid talking about your sensitivities and sharing your intuitions so you feel less out of place.
It’s never easy to feel like you don’t belong, but try to see your ability to deeply empathize with others as something special. It may not be common, but it’s an important part of who you are.
You tend to isolateIsolation can help empaths recover from overwhelm, so completely shutting out the world may seem healing. But prolonged isolation can take a toll on mental health.
There are different types of isolation, and some may offer more restorative benefits than others. Try taking your time alone outdoors when possible and meditate in a quiet park, walk in the rain, take a scenic drive, or garden.
If people drain you easily, consider adding a pet to your life. Empaths may connect to animals more intensely and draw deep comfort from this bond.
You have a hard time setting boundariesBoundaries are important in all relationships.
If you’re an empath, you may struggle to turn off the ability to feel and find it impossible to stop giving, even when you have no energy left. You might believe boundaries suggest you don’t care about your loved ones when the exact opposite is true.
Because the experiences of others have such an intense impact on empaths, boundaries become even more essential. They help you set limits around words or actions that may affect you negatively, allowing you to get your own needs met.
When you start to feel unable to decipher your emotions from those of others, it may be time to explore healthy boundary setting with a therapist.
You see the world in unique waysDeeper emotional understanding can drive your intuition, and you likely pick up on things other people miss or make connection that aren’t clear to anyone else.
But this increased connection to the world can also have drawbacks. Environments that don’t provide much space for emotional expression can dampen your creativity and sensitivity, Egel says, leaving you disinterested, disengaged, and struggling to thrive.
You sometimes find it tough to cope with sensory and emotional overloadIt can be difficult for empaths to protect themselves from taking on other people’s emotions, Sueskind says.
Good self-care practices and healthy boundaries can help insulate you, particularly from negative emotions and energy. But the emotional “noise” of the world can cause significant distress when you lack the tools to manage it.
If you’re struggling to manage overstimulation on your own, and it affects your quality of life or keeps you from relationships and other personal goals, a therapist can help you learn to develop boundaries and identify helpful self-care approaches.
Remember, your needs and emotions are just as important as the ones you pick up in everyone around you.
by Crystal Raypole

#blackcattarotnz #empathy #intuitive #Sensitivity #Empath

  ​ The electromagnetic energy around us will increase over the next few months.  As the electromagnetic fields increase symptoms most commonly reported include headaches, body pain, lethargy, tinnitus (ringing in the ear), nausea, burning sensation, heart arrhythmia and anxiety.  We will feel surges of this energy in the next few months as we feel the energetic changes.  What this means is a great new dimension is happening, and it has been long-awaited.  
These incredibly tough times are coming to an end and it is now inevitable that change is pending.   This change is both environmental and personal but this time you will feel the energy within yourself.  The electromagnetic field can be seen around the body. There are seven layers to the aura that work on different planes of existence. Some are physical and this can be perceived by a sensitive eye as a whitish light about two inches around the body. Another part of the aura is more etheric and paler in colour which extends about 70cm around the body.  
The energy of the aura can send, receive and store information. It does this with both negative and positive energies and uses our physical body to do this. The negative aspect of this time frame is that your past may present itself to you and to remain positive we mustn't attach to it.  Have you noticed aspects of your past presenting themselves to you?  This could be in thought, dreams or in person. 
In this cycle you will watch the old way of life collapse, often indicated to me by what is happening in big business and government.  We must maintain ourselves whilst evolving through the next magical chapter of our life. It is about aligning with your truth. (Do not worry about others)
Ask yourself, have your values changed in the last few years?  I would say they have as you are an evolving lot.  I know this as through my readings with clients I can see the change/evolution you have been through in the past and present as you prepare for the future as this new chapter presents itself. 
As you reflect on the past and let go you will feel your belief system change.    As a universe, we come together to recreate our new ideals as we evolve into who we are going to be in this next phase. All done unconsciously a lot of the time.     What does this mean?   Well, it means we are coming out of fear and moving towards love.  Love of self and who we are as individuals. Regardless of the energy around us. The Electromagnetic field represents light. Often you hear people say love and light. Well, this is exactly what it means. 
  
Now the homework to get to this positive new space? 
Set your intentions as to what you want to manifest in your life? Any idea what that is?  No?  Then simply ask your higher self to deliver the best for you. 
 As we gather momentum, we will watch a rebirth, not only in our country but also a spiritual rebirth a very big new beginning designed for you.     

This cycle is about truth, it's about freedom. it's about justice, it's very much around belief and very much about cleansing, clearing and shedding the old belief systems. Those old belief systems that you've held for many many years, sometimes your entire lifetime, well it is now time to shed.  This is your last chance to shed them.  You may have even been thinking of the past,  or even dreaming of the past. This is the indicator that it is vital we clear that energy now.   What if I don't, I hear you say?   I talk about the seven-year cycles in my book. Transform your psyche your journal to self-discovery.  We have magical times in our cycles that we must work with to ensure positive outcomes.  This is now the time.
For those who have the book, it is downtime to dust it down and redo the exercises in it as you rediscover this new chapter of your life. Our life is cyclic this is now the end of a very tough seven-year cycle. So it is vital to bounce into 2022 with a new positive outlook, knowing that history will not repeat itself as you are going to ensure that does not happen. 
As 2022 approaches along with the next seven years ensure it works in your favour.  This will be a wonderful time to embrace your new self as you shed the past.  Let go of the old definition of who you were and step into a new paradigm because it's our belief systems that define our future that will define our reality. 

Moving forward will allow you to support higher consciousness and new wisdom and this very high-level frequency of energy are exactly what we need to support this new world.   Watch your intuition and creativity soar. Embrace this newness you will feel, it has been a long time coming. Align yourself with your truth and live that fantastical life you have been longing for.
 End 2021 with a bang and we will regroup in 2022 to work through the new energies.

I have a few copies of Transform your Psyche, your Journal to Self Discovery available for those who are in NZ, overseas it is available on Amazon.
 I am available throughout the holiday period for readings 😊 x
I would like this opportunity to wish you the very very best of 2022 and thank you for your ongoing love and support, it is so magical for me that I have been given the gift to assist you with your life path.  Brigid

November will bring us some ups and downs.  When you think you are at the top of the mountain, a hiccup may occur.   I do not see this as being a major issue for November, however, should it occur, here is how it will unfold. 
When it’s out of your sight it does not mean it won’t happen. If it is not on your mind it does not mean it won’t happen.   I am sounding cryptic right.  ‘IT’ is that wish fulfilment you have been working towards.   It is that thought you have been throwing out to the universe, be it grounded or flexible.
November is a time of rapid creation and rapid destruction so take your time and be patient as you do not know what the big picture will ultimately look like.
I would describe the first part of the month of not seeing a lot happen, this is where you must trust that your goal/dream will unfold as you hit mid-month.   The energy representing the power of creation and destruction this month is going to be vital to growing and changing.  The beginning of the month reminds me of the Temperance and Hangman cards, in tarot.  Gentle slow movements, patience as we as humans will always ask why it is taking so long.   Then mid-month feels like the Tower and Death cards, in Tarot, they present themselves like an eruption and then a strong call to action.    This is where the power to create or change comes to you in a concentrated burst of energy and attention.  Rest assured the whole of November is not like this.  The rest of the month you can be hands-off as you watch the magic unfold in front of you. 
To recap, the beginning part of November is about being patient getting all your ducks in a row and then in the middle of the month you may have feelings of frustration as you try to control what is unfolding.   The final part of this month is an accomplishment. Also, the beginning of the end as well.    Remember the most challenging aspects in your life sometimes means the final leg of the journey.  
 This month find what brings you joy and happiness it is important this month to dig deep spiritually as the world around you remains negative.  What we are wanting is to hold that light.  The energy is about a mid-month opportunity that comes in the form of a big move, a big invitation like marriage or partnership or job opportunity, but it might involve some sort of a displacement for you moving travelling and definitely some sort of a shift.  November is about getting perspective on how you want your life to unfold. 
 It is a time to trust yourself to allow the good news and be present when it arrives. See the hidden blessings understand that it’s good to dream it’s good to push but it’s also important to celebrate where you’re at.
 There is a chance for love this month if you are looking for it. More friendships and partnerships, strengthening of marriages, work partnerships and key relationships.
 Ensure you are getting enough sleep; some may have insomnia nightmares or just not being able to fall asleep.  I have sleep essence if you need it, this has been very helpful for me.
I do not need to remind you of the importance of not taking on other people’s energy, find a way to balance it out and remember there’s nothing wrong with saying I’m tired or can I call you back. This is your environment, so look after it.    So, as we go into November know that it is a powerful time to manifest.  This is your chance to reap the rewards for the hard work that you’ve done.  
I do feel lots of partnership energy. To allow this be sure you are not putting a seed of doubt in your energy, be seen.  If you are not being supported, be it in relationships or work it’s time to talk to somebody about finding your happiness, do not be afraid to step into your power. Maybe it is time to ask for that pay increase!
You have a lot of choices this month make sure that if you’ve been trying to manifest something and you see it coming through that you don’t freak out and overthink it!

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