A Common Question; 3 Empaths Share Their Views

We think being an empath is pretty cool...but not easy.

It’s like a crash course in learning to manage your emotions and by that, we mean emotions that are A) yours AND B) not yours.

Here is one of the questions we’ve been asked by clients who've graciously allowed us to share their questions in this article, and here are 3 answers by members of the InSpirit Team.

“Am I crazy for thinking there’s always an emotional attack against empaths? That’s how I always feel. News, media, social media. How much I overthink doesn’t always help.”

Terri Portelli

While it certainly can feel like you are under a constant emotional attack, I find it really helpful to think of these feelings this way:

1) It is not an attack on you. This means it’s not personal. As someone who is empathic, you are a satellite dish for emotions all around you. Rather than thinking of this as an attack, it is more of a sensory overload.

A couple of years ago, my daughter brought her one year old up to the cottage. It was her first time in a new environment and she (my granddaughter, not my daughter) was wide-eyed. That night, she could not settle down to sleep. She was overstimulated. Eventually she did sleep but not without a fight!

I am not comparing you to a toddler but I am suggesting a similar situation. Like that satellite dish, you can learn to filter out unwanted frequencies through learning to shield yourself and recognize when what you are feeling isn’t yours.

2) Overthinking things? Never you say? From a numerology perspective, some Birth Force vibrations are more emotionally sensitive and thought-focused than others. Your Birth Force represents your strengths that you bring into this life to develop and master. Birth Force 2, 3 6 are the emotional vibrations and Birth Force 7 is the thinker.

You can calculate your own Birth Force by adding up the numbers in your date of birth. For example, someone born February 28, 1962 would be a Birth Force 3.

2 + 28 + 1 + 9 + 6 + 2 =

2 + 28 + 18 = (18 is the 2 digit sum of the year of birth)

48

4 + 8 = 12 => 1+ 2 = 3

A 3 vibration is finely attuned to their emotions on a good day and on all other days, is striving to learn to understand and manage their emotions. Looking to your other Core Numerology Numbers can give a more clear picture of where you stand emotionally.

The InSpirit Centre has a helpful article entitled ‘Sensitive to Emotions? You Might be an Empath’ by Barbara Ford which is full of helpful information on protecting yourself. It can be found in the Blog section under ‘Free Stuff’.

Christine Ford

Most of the time when people think of empaths, they think of people who are sensitive to the emotions of other people but there are different kinds. One can also be an empath with plants, animals, environments and so on. Not only that, but there is a spectrum of sensitivity in each category and a person can be an empath in more than one category. It’s even more challenging when we consider that only about 10%-20% of people fall into this category. Those who are not empaths often have difficulty imagining what it is like and what all the fuss is about. If you identify as an empath, you may have been told to stop being so sensitive and to grow a thicker skin.

I am an empath and in fact I tend to rank high on the spectrum across the board and for me it posed deep challenges until I understood what was going on and learned some tools to manage it. Thankfully we now live in world where there is a language for this with tools available. Being an empath can be a superpower, but it can also be a curse if we don’t know how to manage it.

I can absolutely understand why the news, media, and social media can feel like an emotional attack. Like Terri said, it’s not personal but I will add that it is absolutely meant to grab our attention, to manipulate us, to sway our opinions for political reasons, and to pull us along the rabbit hole of click-bait for more ratings if we let it. This can be extremely toxic, especially for empaths.

There’s two things I need to do to be OK:

1) Limit my access to news and social media and discussions of such. I have a non-empath hubby who is a self-proclaimed information junkie and tells me if something important happens in the news. I don’t miss important information, but I can bypass the manipulative and triggering nonsense that can put me in a tailspin. I choose my environment to live and work in carefully to the best of my ability.

2) More importantly, I look for quality tools to put in my empath survival toolbox and use them regularly to be able to handle more environments, people, and situations. If I didn’t do this, I wouldn’t be able to handle much of anything. A daily practice of grounding, energetic shielding, energetic cleansing etc. is essential for me to get through my day. I recommend Barbara Ford’s CD “Grounding White Light” or for those who like a witchy approach, the book “The Witch’s Shield” by Christopher Penczak which has a CD at the back with useful meditations and exercises. Energetic shielding takes daily practice but is extremely effective in the long run. At first, I didn’t notice much, but after 6 months, my whole life changed for the better! Crystals are great to start with and my favorites are selenite, black tourmaline, and aragonite.

I found the quizzes and information in the book “The Empath’s Survival Guide” by Dr. Judith Orloff M.D. to be very helpful in getting to know myself and where I fall in the spectrum of everything, however I have found metaphysical and spiritual tools that I learned at InSpirit Centre to be stronger and more effective in managing issues.

Christine Wile

It is my belief we are all empaths in some way. People who can identify as empaths have done the research to find the reason for how they feel on any given situation. I believe empathy is a built-in safety mechanism to keep us alive. Feeling the environment around us can give us clues on how to react. Unfortunately in our society we become bombarded by sensory overload for years before we understand where the reason lies. Knowing you are empathic is the starting point for healing. You recognize where and when your energy changes based on your body’s physical cues, you then assess the situation from a place of logic and reasoning (is this mine? Is this environmental?) then take steps to remove yourself from the situation by mentally erecting shielding/protection as well as acknowledging the feelings you’re having.

From an astrological standpoint, there are signs that are more empathic than others, that is to say, the inherent energy of the sign and ruling planet in your chart as well as where they sit in the heavens at any given point contributes to and can accentuate the empathic feelings you experience. The Water sign Pisces has the strongest empathic tendencies. Pisces lives below the watery surface of emotions, seeing but not being seen, feeling without knowing why, and becoming the energy around them. Pisces ruling planet Neptune, the planet of illusion keeps things hidden from view by acting below the surface. Pisces walking into a room of people will become the room of people.

Another planet with strong empathy is the Air sign Gemini. Gemini is all about mental activity and communication. Gemini engages in any kind of communication available not just verbal, face to face communication. Gemini’s ruling planet Mercury is the trickster planet of communication-thriving on knowing it all, being it all and sharing it all. Gemini entering a room of people will have sensory overload and will cope by either shutting down or by owing the room by sheer communicative force-being the centre of that room’s universe. That’s a lot of energy! This is not to say that Pisces and Gemini are the only two empathic signs; by their very nature they come by empathy naturally.

If you know you’re empathic and seek to find ways to control and “own your empathy” and not have your empathic tendencies control you, I found the book by Christopher Penczak “The Witch’s Shield” life changing. Don’t let the title of the book intimidate you-this book is steeped in ways to help you understand what energy is and how it affects you. Once you understand how the energy of others affects you, you can then learn ways to erect boundaries, add protection to yourself from the energy of others as well as protecting others from your energy-recognizing when and where the projection of energy takes place. Reading this book, working through the exercises and applying them to my life enabled me to recognize when, where and how my energy was being affected and to protect myself from others. You can choose empathy, not be a victim of it.

Terri Portelli is a Numerologist, Reiki Master, Tarot Reader, Medium & Paranormal Advisor. Terri has many years experience and she is well respected for her insightful knowledge and non-judgmental attitude. To book a session with Terri, or attend one of her courses, please give a call to InSpirit Centre 289-891-7711

Christine Ford is a High Priestess with the Temple of Witchcraft, an Artisan, a Spiritual Advisor, Medium and Paranormal Consultant. Christine is known for her indepth mystic knowledge and great sense of humour. To book a session with Christine please call InSpirit Centre. 289-891-7711

Christine Wile is an Astrologer, a Reiki Practitioner, a Spiritual Advisor and Paranormal Consultant. Christine is known for her humble approach and deep thirst for knowledge. She brings her enthusiasm and indepth knowledge to all her sessions. To book a session with Christine please call InSpirit Centre. 289-891-7711