The Importance of Intention
Hi friend! Thank you for being here and checking out my first blog post!
I’m starting this blog because I really wanted to create a space to talk about some of the most important topics within Mediumship. Whether it's explaining things from my perspective as a Medium, offering tips on how to best prepare for a session (whether it’s your first or your tenth—yes, it’s a thing, and we’ll cover it in a future post!), or discussing misconceptions and sharing a little Mediumship history, I’m excited to dive in.
Setting Your Intentions for a Reading
Today, for my first post, I want to focus on the importance of intention when preparing for your session with a Medium. Before we get going, it’s important to note that the tips and suggestions I share come from my own first-hand experiences as a Medium. I can’t speak for all light-workers, but I can speak about how I’ve made sense of what I’ve encountered over the past 14 years.
If you’ve ever had a session with a Medium, I’m guessing the first two questions that pop up after hitting "BOOK" are: "I wonder what they’ll bring up?" or "I wonder who will come through?"
Largely, the answers to these questions can depend on you and how you prepare. In my opinion, intention is single-handedly the most important component before coming into a session.
As a Medium, I’ve found that 95% of the time, if the client has made their intentions known in some simple way to their loved ones in Spirit before a session (We’ll talk about how in just a little bit), these things do typically come up on their own without the client needing to ask.
Defining Intention
To start, I think it’s important to break down the term Intention to include four different categories. Other Mediums may have more categories or even less, but these are the four I encounter the most during a session.
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The specific loved ones you’d like to hear from in Spirit.
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The subjects you’d like those folks to discuss during the session.
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Specific questions you’ve been wondering about or seeking clarity on.
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Specific and private pieces of information that would only be known between you and your loved ones in Spirit (evidence of their presence).
How to Set Your Intentions
So, how do we set these intentions before a session? Whenever I have a reading that leaves both me and the client saying, "Wow. That was wild," I often ask them afterward what they did to prepare. I’ve found that each person’s answer is unique, and it truly boils down to the client's style and preference.
However, here are some of the most frequent ways I’ve heard intentions to be expressed:
Writing out their questions on a sheet of paper. This includes thoughts, topics, and a list of folks they’d be open to visiting with during the session.
Prayer. Whether it's in a formal religious setting, or simply in their bed before falling asleep at night or waking up for the day.
Speaking their intentions out loud while doing routine tasks, like cleaning their house.
Thinking these intentions while going for a walk outside or at the gym.
Talking out loud or thinking about those intentions while driving to work or the grocery store.
You’d be surprised—driving is the answer that actually comes up the most. Driving is a great example of how well our brain multi-tasks. Yes, we’re driving safely and paying attention to the road, but for many, it’s also a time (or the only time for some) to be truly alone with their thoughts. It’s a chance to decompress, plan out what’s next, or daydream. Why not add talking to your loved ones in Spirit to that list?
To summarize, there is no wrong way to set intentions. You don’t even need to speak it out loud; it just has to be set in some way, shape, or form.
I bet the next question you’re wondering is, "How often before a reading do I need to do this?"
Truly, just once will suffice. I have some clients who will do this for days or even weeks beforehand, and other clients who do it for 10 minutes in the car on their way to the session. I can assure you that both methods work equally well.
Roadblocks and Exceptions
Does all of this make sense so far? Good. Let’s move on to potential exceptions or roadblocks.
Now, hear me out. Just because I’ve mentioned how easy it is to set intentions, it doesn’t necessarily mean that all of them will come up in a session.
Here are some of the most common reasons why they might not:
The information is not in your Highest and Best Good. For example, I’ve never seen Spirit answer the question, "When am I going to die?" It doesn’t serve anyone well to know this, and I won’t attempt to answer it. We’ll discuss this topic more at a later date, but for now, this should suffice.
The request is an attempt to test or trick the Medium. For example, I’ve had one or two clients come in saying, "You didn’t say the magic word or random number I shared with my Mom while driving in the car." Truly, it doesn’t work that way. I’ve found that Spirit will share plenty of beautiful pieces of evidential information without needing to prove legitimacy through a random word or number. If the request starts to lean toward entertainment versus information needed for closure or clarity, don’t bank on Spirit sharing it.
Spirit might feel you're not ready to know the information yet. Spirit is aware of the beautiful progress we make as well as triggers that might set us back in our growth or healing journey. For example, let’s say a client asks, "I’d really love to know if my ex who recently broke up with me and blocked my number is now dating someone else." It’s a fair question! However, if the client has a history of obsessive behavior or is going through a bad period with their mental health, Spirit will prioritize protecting them over sharing potentially harmful information at that moment.
These are the big ones I can think of, but know that there are probably many other reasons as well! I’m still growing and learning on my journey as a Medium, so please know that I am never claiming to present all possible scenarios or explanations.
Ok, now let’s say we get to the end of the session and a few of the intentions you’ve set haven’t come up yet? What should you do? Ask!
If you have a session with me, I typically carve out about 5–7 minutes at the end of the reading to ask the client: "Ok, what topics, questions, or people haven’t come up/through yet? How can I best serve the remainder of our time?" This is a great time to ask those questions. In fact, I typically ask that you save your questions until the end in the hopes that Spirit will answer them first without you needing to prompt me. It’s one of the lovely things they do to help prove the validity of the session.
Let’s say there is a person who hasn’t come through yet or a topic that wasn’t addressed. Many times, I find that the reason is actually none of those three exceptions I mentioned above. It’s simply the fact that I might not have sensed it yet, or I did and then got distracted by another Spirit attempting to come through or went on to a different topic. So, if that happens, just ask, and I’ll always try my best to get you that answer! Also though, if I don’t get anything, I’ll just say, "I’m sorry, but I’m not getting anything on this."
How Many Intentions are Too Many?
Finally, I’d like to address one more big question: "Just how many intentions can I set for a session?"
I find that Spirit typically brings up 3–4 big topics (usually brought up in order of importance) and about 3–5 people come through during a 45 minute session. Similarly, I’ve found that the people we’re missing the most or particularly grieving the hardest often come through first.
But make no mistake, sometimes the Spirit who addresses a topic may surprise you. If one of your loved ones in Spirit went through an issue that you’re currently dealing with and asking for guidance on, it’s typically that Spirit who likes to answer the question. For example, let’s say you’re asking your brother to come through and offer comfort after finding out your significant other was unfaithful. You might actually find that it’s your Aunt coming through to speak to the experience, as she experienced infidelity herself and might have some guidance better suited for you. Obviously, your brother is going to come through and chat as well, but I LOVE to see how the topics are doled out to those in Spirit based on their life experience and who is best suited to assist you. It never ceases to amaze me.
I hope this was a helpful post for you! If there are other topics you’d like covered, please get in touch and let me know. Next time, I’ll be talking with you about how I discovered my abilities as a Medium well as what training looks like for a beginner!
With light, joy, and gratitude,
Jimmy
