top of page

Why Is Joining a Circle So Important?

There is a difference between Spiritual Awakening and Spiritual development. But before I go into that let’s start with what it means to be spiritual. In essence it simply for me means being aware of Spirit around you. Spiritual Development is the development of your spiritual awareness which includes your own “divinity”. You cannot communicate properly with spirits if you do not deal with that issue as well. There are often emotional issues that block people and that is something that has also to be looked at in the circle environment. It cannot always be cleared up in a circle but it can be identified and the person told to go away and clear it up.





That then leads into Mediumship. A medium is someone who can and does communicates with spirits on behalf of other people. Mediumship is not putting yourself into meditative state and having a conversation by yourself with your grandfather. I communicate with my own relatives and guides constantly, and that is an ability that comes with mediumship but it is not mediumship. It is also something that many people can do and do not need to become mediums to do.


You can simply wish this ability and not to take it any further which is fine if that is all you are looking for. However, I am going to talk specifically about how to spiritually develop to become a Spiritual Medium.


A subdivision that often causes confusion is between spiritual and psychic and for the purposes of this discussion I am looking for precision. Psychic is a spirit in a living human and Spirit is the spirit of all people and beings who exist. So Psychic is a subdivision of spiritual. A psychic reading or medium is someone who reads you and is not communicating with spirits generally is just a Psychic Medium. Yes just – a Spiritual Medium can be a Psychic Medium; a Psychic Medium is not a Spiritual Medium. It is however a term that is often used to mean the same thing as a Spiritual Medium and people search for Psychic Mediums when looking for a Spiritual Medium. If you are talking to a medium always clarify which they are. If the medium does not know the difference take that as a serious warning signal not to use them as it implies no real training as a Medium.


Now after four paragraphs of definitions if you are still reading this let us get to the real point of this post. There is only one way to develop as a Spiritual Medium – through a circle. If you are not looking to develop as a Spiritual Medium ignore the rest of this post.


I am expecting a tirade of comments after that statement about the only way. “I did it my way.” “I went to a course / I run a course.” “There is an excellent book called ….” “I follow the Umba Giga Wolta Shinty Method.” “I learnt from a great teacher.”


All the above may very well support, introduce and reinforce you to Spiritual Mediumship. You can get a to be able to give readings without attendance in a circle I will accept that. But you cannot reach a level of adequacy to call yourself a Spiritual Medium. Full Stop.

It is a generalization that most professions say that it takes 10,000 hours of work/practice learning to become an expert. Ten thousand hours of playing a musical instrument to become an expert musician on the violin. Ten thousand hours of running to become an Olympic Athlete.


Here is a minor revelation for you – we can all receive spiritual messages and indeed almost without fail we all do. The spiritual revelation I started to talk about is developing an awareness of that facility. Not suddenly being able to receive. Intuition. Gut feeling. Instinct. Are just some of the labels that are used to cover up spiritual information that we receive. I just knew when to cross the road and there you were. Why did I think to phone you when you needed to hear my voice?


However, there are two other aspects to being a Spiritual Medium.





First interpretation of the messages. And that is key to learning how Spirit communicates with you as an individual and how to interpret that. We are all different so there is a high degree of self-discovery and most of us make huge mistakes and these must be corrected during the learning process in a safe environment.


Second the Spiritual Rules of Mediumship. These are very real and must be followed. And you learn them in a Circle. Though this is probably the one aspect where it is safe to say you can read about them. But again, you will make mistakes and better to learn in a circle before you suddenly loose your ability to give messages as make these types of mistakes often and that is what will happen.


So, let us assume you are aware, and you may have received a few messages and ready to start. Or at the other extreme you are busy happily posting away on Facebook to give free reading after reading. Why do you need a circle? Because you have a lot to learn. And most of it is a journey of self-discovery about how spirit works with you. Example I am often told “I am getting nothing” but that is something. An amazingly simple mistake that most readers without training do not realize they are making.


But that journey needs to be guided, and in a safe environment. That is what a circle is. But there are circles and then there are those dammed circles, and they are not all the same. I am not afraid to say so, but I have experienced what I will call bad circles. As a Medium I have seen circles in the USA and many of what I have experienced in them is also not a proper circle, so it gets even more confusing. So, therefore, then what you must get out of your circle.


Okay so a Circle is a group of spiritualists. Usually with a range of abilities. A circle leader. And the combined power of everyone in the circle’s guides and spiritual teachers. They together form a spiritual circle around the human pupils to protect and teach. They work through the circle leaders and guide him or her as appropriately to teach guide and support the circle members. The purpose is over time to get every member of the circle to a stage where they can run work as a Spiritual Medium with their own guides to provide messages.

The circle should last approx. one and a half hours a week. Every week at the same time and or place (online if required). This is a contract between you and Spirit. Probably the least understood aspect of joining a circle and yet the most important. Spirit is going to open to you in the circle and you are going to develop and experience real communication very quickly for most people. But you must make this undertaking as well. So, you must join a circle you know you will be able to attend and make the commitment to attend. All other members are doing so jointly.


The circle will be what is closed. An open circle is for people who are trying, not yet ready to make that commitment and generally not yet fully understanding what they are doing. Beginners for want of a better description. The closed Circle is open to new members, but only after they agree that they are going to stay long term. Obviously, people can go and try before doing so. The Church I am a Medium for, Dunfermline runs an open circle (pre corona-virus of course) and a closed circle. The open was like primary school whist the private is akin to secondary through to University level. And it contains working Mediums as well. I believe that as a working Medium I still have much to learn and will continue to sit in that circle after the Church is able to reopen.


What to expect in the circle?


Teaching, discussion, and guidance first and foremost. However, this should not be the primary activity. If you get more than one meeting in a row with nothing practical, then walk away. How to ground yourself and open and close is lesson one. If this is not even mentioned on day one, then again walk away.


Opening and closing – with grounding. Then usually a guided meditation. This is where the circle leader takes you into a private mediation to meet with a loved one directly yourself. Or maybe meet your guides.


Sessions to open and communicate with. This is the most important of all activities. This is where a beginner starts to discover how Spirit will communicate with them. The first attempts will be embryonic. But with help and support from all circle members baby steps are taken for a beginner. Then as progression is made over time skills develop and trust in your specific spiritual guide(s). Mistakes will be made of course. That is why you are in a protected circle. Make the mistake in a safe location, not in the real world giving a private reading.


How to interpret. What I call the rule of three. There are three ways to interpret a message from spirit. And that is not the purpose of this article. Most Mediums will not have heard the use of that term, but I will expect them to understand the different three ways. Again, if not…

To be blunt in a real circle you are walking on fire most of the time! Which is why the circle has one total and absolute rule. Privacy – whatever happens in the circle stays there.

Also, if looking at an online circle investigate what tech is used. Zoom should be the standard. Are recordings made and can they be reviewed? I run a private Facebook group where recordings are posted of circle groups so the members can look at them and use them as an ongoing tool. Not essential but with the way everything is changing the ability is there. But again, notice the word Private as in Private group.


Tools may be used. For example, Oracle cards. Gemstones. These are tools used by Spirit and valuable to help develop trust and progress. I refer to them as blankets as they are teaching tools. You should be able to work without them as you progress. But be able to use them if you wish.


Now how do you tell if the circle is up to scratch? You are looking for all the following.

First the person running the circle, the circle leader. This must be a working medium. Both giving readings and working on Platform or Gateway. At a very minimum the circle leader must have done both if not actively doing both now. Do not be afraid to ask and investigate with anyone running a circle about this status before making a commitment to join a circle.

Second the circle must be able to give you experience in what is called an after circle. That is some way for you to give readings from platform / gateway and private readings. Ultimately you are looking for an environment that the leader of the circle can let you get real experience. Again, in the circles I run I am able when people are ready to give them real experience giving messages to people in a streamed broadcast. Everyone knows it is a learning and teaching exorcise for the people getting the readings, so everyone gets something from it.


Clearly the best place to go for a circle is a local Spiritual Church. So, under normal circumstances find your local Spiritual Church. And by local it is often necessary to travel to find the correct circle. See my comments about commitment. However, times are changing and, in this day, and age for most people I suspect it will be the way I am myself running circles online.


Finally remember a circle is a contract, between you and spirit. You are making a commitment to work and learn, and in return Spirit is agreeing to teach you how and give you the real experience in terms of how to. And most importantly in a safe environment. Yes, there are many other ways to learn, courses, books, workshops, but all of these are homework and not the school room itself. Even an intensive two-week introduction course like the one I run assumes with Spirit that you are seriously going to commit to working in a circle over time if you find that you want to continue.


29 views0 comments
bottom of page