What is an Empath?

Energy is my first language

We’re in lockdown here in Sydney, I thought it was time to start blogging regularly. I thought if I’m going to do this I should be open and authentic. So here is a big post for you, brace yourselves, I may (but hopefully not) freak some of you out a little.

There is something about me that not many know. I’ve only worked it out in the last 5-10 years myself.
My family know and that’s pretty much it. It’s not the fact that it is a secret, it’s more so than when I tell people, some think I am crazy, and others feel awkward and don’t know what to say. So I just keep it to myself. People don’t need to know anyway… but then if there are people out there like me, they may wish to read on.

I recently read a post on Instagram that said “If today was your last day, tonight, would you have any regrets?” I thought nope, I live and love hard… then I had a second thought. Yes I would have a regret, not being openly and freely myself. Maybe I could have helped some along the way but I kept things to myself. Maybe I am this way for a reason and I didn’t do what I should have done with it… So this will change from today. No regrets.

I am an Empath. I also have Clairecognizant and Clairesentient abilities. Empaths fall under the category of Clairsentients.

 

 

What on earth does all of that mean?

What is an Empath? For as long as I can remember I have been able to feel exactly what other people are feeling. You just need to be near me. If you were around me and you were really sad, I would feel your sadness. I wouldn’t just know that you were sad, I would actually feel your sadness. I would feel this intense sadness out of the blue and not know why or have any reason for it. If you were around me and were angry for some reason – I would feel angry and agitated and not know why. It took me a while to learn that those feeling were not mine. I would take on those feelings, I would be sad and had no reason to be and I hated it. Because I have done this for as long as I can remember, I originally thought this was normal and everyone was like this. I thought everyone would walk around feeling what everyone else around them felt and have to deal with the aftermath of those experiences.

I remember wondering how other people were able to shield themselves from this. Why some people wouldn’t cry when other people cried, why some people wouldn’t feel angry when someone around them was. I did a lot of research, read a few books, did some soul searching and sought the help of a spiritual professional or two. It became clear to me that I was the only one experiencing this and the name they have for this is an Empath.

It used to freak me out, occasionally it still does if I catch a feeling from someone that surprises me. I don’t know how to react, as the person in front of me has no idea that I can see straight through them.

With this ability I can read people in a heartbeat… all people (and most animals too) and you won’t have a clue. I automatically and sub-consciously read one or many if I walk into a room of people. I remember a few years ago I was out buying a few groceries quickly after lunch. It was Mothers Day, I bumped into a guy I knew at Coles, he wanted and needed a hug. I knew this for a fact but I didn’t think just giving him the hug he needed was the right thing, he wasn’t a really close friend and the hug he needed was a real tight one, he was hurting. I didnt know why he needed a hug at the time, he just desperately needed one. I touched him on the shouder as I wished him a good day, and I hoped someone closer to him would be a shoulder for him to lean on. Later that night I mentioned to my Husband I had seen our friend, my Husband reminded me he had lost his Mum a few weeks before… and it was Mothers Day… I really wish I had put my fear aside that day and gave him a simple hug. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and I have vowed not to hold back next time.

I can read the bad as well as the sadness. If you’re planning on manipulating me or lying to me, you absolutely won’t ever stand a chance. I will know your plans before you even begin. Sometimes I will catch you out on it, sometimes I if I’m in the right mood I will mess with you a little, sometimes I’ll just see how far you will dig yourself into a hole, sometimes I will just let you go and keep it to myself… I’m not a fan of confrontation, I really value my peace and I just know what kind of person you truly are. You can see now why I don’t tell many people about this. You don’t want to come anywhere near me now do you…

Dark toned stylish room with beautiful artwork on the wall

Am I for real?

Some of you may think everything I am saying is all fiction and that is absolutely ok, I know people can only understand to their own level of perception. And I don’t need for you to believe me or to not believe me. I am happy on my own just as I am. A bit of a strange one… But I’ve never been the kind that felt the need to follow the crowd. The fact is, that I do actually love being alone. I need to be alone on a regular basis or I feel completely drained. I do absolutely of course love and need my family and friends around me, I couldn’t live without them. I couldn’t be alone ALL of the time but I do need to spend quite a bit of time alone. I need to recharge and not take on anyone else’s emotions for a while. You can imagine, feeling other peoples emotions aswell as my own is very draining. I love my solitude and independence. I need it. I can’t go without it. The one and only soul I can be around constantly is my Germand Shepherd, Shiloh her energy is quite passive and calm though so I don’t take too much from her, and she seems to heal me somehow as well at the same time. Her energy is beautiful.

To help you understand this further, if I see an ad on TV where a family is reunited like in the Qantas ad, and they are happy and crying, I am instantly happy and crying. I can’t watch war movies or crime movies unless I am prepared to protect myself from the experience first. I was walking in the local grocery store about a year ago and a guy was walking towards me, I feel bad all of a sudden, deathly bad. My heart raced and I felt angry and desperate. As he walked past me, I couldn’t help but turn towards him and stare as I could feel his horrific energy, he had done some really bad things. I wanted to run away and confront him all at the same time. I stood there frozen in shock staring at him for a minute before I left. It took me hours to shake what I felt from him. It really rattled me.

I can lose respect for someone instantly when I feel their bad behaviours, their negative intentions and manipulative ways. I have removed people like this from my life completely. I can feel a deep depression from the lady at the supermarket checkout, and make sure I make her feel special and valued, I can feel if you’re completely, calm, relaxed and happy. I can tell if you’re hiding something, I can tell if you’re keeping a secret (although I wont know what it is). I can feel if you’re head over heels in love, I can feel if you’re not. I feel everything, all day long. You will often find me outside with my hands and feet flat on the grass trying to release all that is not mine. I crave water to wash it all away… bodies of water, a bath, a shower.

Yellow flowers in the sunlight

What am I supposed to do with this gift?

On the other end of the spectrum, every single day I feel the deepest desire to heal and help people. I feel the need to contact people I know and make sure they’re ok. I have felt a friends panic attack when she was 15 minutes drive away, I have felt a friends anxiety around a situation and have been so happy to have provided a solution (that would seem random to them). I read my family constantly, I know if something is wrong instantly. I have been a little unwell lately and my beautiful son tries to keep some things from me so I don’t worry about him, I catch him out every single time.

Every encounter with anyone I cross paths with will be automatically read and as I feel their exact emotions I know exactly if they are uneasy and what they need to feel better if needed. This happens subconsciously, and energy doesn’t lie. I can put people at ease quickly. If someone is awkward, shy, sad, scared… I can help correct this for them, but I can also feel if they wish to be helped or not, my intuition is strong and very accurate and I know where they are at emotionally and whether they are open and/or willing for me to dive deeper. I can bring pretty much anyone around to a better more comfortable place given enough time. A lot of the time they are not wanting to be helped, as they don’t know me and they wouldn’t share what I already know. I am not saying I go around fixing people but I know I can inspire people to heal themselves. I felt sadness and stress from our Australia Post delivery lady the other week, I asked her what her name was, and used her name to thank her so much for delivering our parcels. Smiles, eye contact… “do you have much longer to go until you can have a break?” Just making someone feel worthy of knowing their name and caring for their break time can turn someones life around.

Sometimes I am burnt out and need to put myself first and simply have nothing left to give. I feel bad but we all know you can’t pour from an empty cup. I have to leave them as they are. Some people don’t want to be helped anyway. Some people need an enormous amount of work to help them and they resist so I walk away. And they need to go through the process they’re going through in order to grow. It’s not my place to interfere… but I still feel them, I’m not sure there is even a way for me to turn this off but I have learned to protect my own energy unless it is with someone I care deeply for.

Lots of people offload their problems on me. I had a guy who worked in a shop once ask if he could help me with anything, I was fine so we started talking about the weather… he wanted to chat, and that’s ok… this quickly progressed to a deeper conversation and within 5 minutes he had told me intimate details about his private life, details of an accident that led to struggles with IVF, his break up with his partner, surgeries I probably shouldn’t know about and his traumatic upbringing. I listened and spent the few minutes talking, as sometimes all someone needs it to tell someone else who will listen how they are feeling. With this ability I feel a responsibility to be of service in this way. I know my place and wouldn’t abuse anyone’s trust in me. I’m not sure why people feel so comfortable but I am so glad they do, I know some people have no one to talk to and I would rather be their someone, than their no one.

I’ve seen the sweetest people, the purest hearts, the saddest people in despair, I’ve seen generous angels walking amongst us. I’ve cut people from my life completely as I have felt their manipulative behaviour many times, lost all respect for them and simply can’t stand to be around them.

I have used my ability in my portrait work for years and have it down to a refined art. I can make the most unsure people feel so comfortable with me that they relax and allow their true selves to be shown. Some people think I’m shy and introverted when the fact is, I automatically to sit back and read people, I am feeling my own energy, your energy and the person beside you aswell.  Trying to be me, while I am feeling everything another person is feeling is a lot to manage. If people around me are fine, comfortable and happy, I am free to just be myself and relax but this whole ‘energy’  thing simply can’t be helped, I am me, and I am you at the same time – it can be a juggle!

Australian-Wattle

Claires

Clairesentience and Claircognizance are the abilities to feel and clearly just know things respectively, they are intuitive abilities… Psychic abilities. Lots of people have these abilities to varying degrees, but especially animals and children. For babies and animals, their first language is energy also. Babies and young children automatically feel relaxed around me, dogs in particular really speak to me, I will be waiting for my coffee at the local cafe and lock eyes with a dog staring at me 5 metres away, we have an energetic conversation and the dog would come over say hello and sit beside me. Lots of dogs work in service as therapy dogs, they can tell when someone is having a panic attack, a seizure or is feeling suicidal and they shower you will love and care, they feel a lot aswell.

 

Why am I telling you all of this

I also want to let other Empaths know I am here, I don’t believe I know any other Empaths, (although I have a sneaky suspicion I know one but I don’t know how to approach that with this person as yet), this may open a door. I did find it hard to find information on this topic for myself. It can be a little lonely not having anyone who can relate. My only concern is people who know me personally may feel different about me, or look at me any differently.

But then again, all of the people I keep in my company on varied levels are beautiful, sweet souls that I treasure, value and care for. Being an Empath with psychic abilities has helped me greatly in my work as a portrait photographer, but also in creating work within The Humble Hunter. One person asked me how I know all of these stories I write about, the fact is all of the stories in The Humble Hunter portfolio are yours but they are also my own, whether I have experienced them first or second hand I know exactly how those stories translate and am so happy I have the ability to create a visual representation for anyone who needs them. I am forever grateful for this platform I have created, although I often feel I can’t take credit for it, it simply… just… fell out of me.

Here is a great article I found if you would like to know more https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/jun/24/superpower-empaths-paid-read-mind-empathy

 

Thank you so much for being here,

The Humble Hunter x