Seeing a Clairvoyant

I’ll never forget the first time I met Sue. It was October 31 two years ago when the RedBalloon team threw an office Halloween party. Cobwebs were strung from the ceilings, plastic eyeballs were floating in the punch and musk sticks were served in novelty skulls – it was obviously a very classy affair. To make the event more legitimate (and to add some pizzazz) we invited in one of our suppliers – our Sydney-based clairvoyant Sue Walliker.

A few members of the team were lucky enough to receive a 15-minute reading with Sue and I was one of them. To tell you the truth, I couldn’t have been more naïve at the time. My knowledge of clairvoyance, psychics and mediums was limited to Whoopi Goldberg’s character in Ghost and that episode of The Simpsons where Lisa visits a carnival fortune teller. In other words, limited at best!

I’m not sure what I was expecting when I walked into the room to meet Sue, but it was probably along the lines of crystal balls, tarot cards and someone who was going to make me feel uncomfortable. What I was greeted with couldn’t have been further from that. From the minute I met Sue I felt completely at ease. The only way I can describe being in her presence is to compare it to having a warm cup of tea. 

I won’t tell you exactly what went on in our reading – not only because a reading is a personal experience, but also because it’s a different experience for everyone who walks through Sue’s door. My experience would be different to the next client Sue sees – that’s the beauty of each reading.

Fast forward two years and I thought it was time to catch up with Sue for a chat. Read on to discover when she realised she had this gift, exactly what you can expect from a spiritual reading with Sue and her most memorable moments. 

Sue, how would you describe what a clairvoyant is to someone who’s not familiar with the term?

I have always preferred the term clairvoyant to psychic. Psychic makes me think of crystal balls and I’m as far removed from crystal ball gazing as one could possibly be. Clairvoyant is very different. ‘Voyant’ is the French term for seeing, and that’s exactly how I read – with my eyes closed and from the pictures I see in my mind. I describe those pictures briefly to my client and then come back and attempt to interpret them in greater detail, symbolically and literally. 

Walk me through a typical reading. What can RedBalloon customers expect?

I start every reading by making a cuppa with my clients. For clients who are nervous it settles them down – it’s just like two friends having a cup of tea at the table. I pull my chair out and ask my client to do the same and put my hands on their knees to make sure I share an energetic connection. Then I close my eyes and take some deep breaths.

When I’m ready I shake the client’s knees, they start their mobile recording and I share the pictures I have seen in my mind. I share usually about five, no more. I usually have a timeline I’m shown by spirits with numbers on it, which relates to times in their life. I also hear dominant sounds in names of people, workplaces, and cities – sometimes I can hear the whole name or part there of. I give them these details very, very briefly. Then I come back with my eyes closed and for the next 20 minutes I attempt to interpret those pictures with the spirits help – I don’t do anything by myself.

After 20 minutes of reading I open my eyes and say, “Does any of that make sense and if so where would you like us to go?”. At that stage I hand the reins of the reading over to my client for them to steer the rest of the session.   

When you hand the reins over, what do most clients ask you?

Well the first thing they do is say something like, “Oh my God. That’s exactly what I’m like”. I’m so blessed because I rarely have clients who sit there stony faced. Most come as an open book, but they haven’t always presented like that. They used to come with arms folded decades ago. Generally the questions they ask from there are either relationship or workplace issues, and of course the big number three is health. 

Do you receive messages when it comes to your own life or the lives of your loved ones?

Yes I have. When I was younger I didn’t want to read for anyone in the family or for close friends. But as I became more detached I was able to see myself. I often refer to the quote, “Make me an instrument of your peace”. The more I detach from the emotional rollercoaster of seeing things for people I love – and the more I merely become but an instrument for spirit – the more when I’ve seen or heard something, it’s sent me into silence instead of tears.

How have your gifts helped you to become a better person?

I’m less judgemental or critical of self or others. I’m also less assuming. It wasn’t until I was 48 that I learnt from the spirits that you can say anything as long as you say it from the heart. 

Do any particular readings stand out?

I did a reading a few years ago and with my eyes closed I saw a rainforest with a snake coming towards me. It bit me but strangely enough I was full of power and love and light. I shared that with the client and she turned around and said, “Oh I’ve just come back from the rainforest in South America working with a Shaman. Whenever I closed my eyes I saw a rainbow serpent.”

But to be honest the best readings are the ones that are awakenings of any kind – people awakening to the realisation that everything in their life doesn’t happen externally. We create our future with every thought we choose to think. In each and every moment we are weaving the tapestry of our future. So it’s the awakening of all kinds of clients that gives me the greatest buzz. The more I’ve learnt to detach and become an instrument of the spirit, the less I’m drained by readings – I’m empowered by them.

It’s when another soul is no longer part of the walking dead. It’s like another light has been turned on in the soul of the person. That’s why I love what I do. 

You can find out more about spiritual readings with Sue (in person or via Skype) here. 

She also runs an empowering life course to find calm in the chaos. Learn more about this course here. 

With anxiety and depression on the rise, and a new wave of people seeking mindfulness through everything from yoga to colouring in, what’s clear is that Australians are craving meaning more than ever. While clairvoyancy is the perfect option for those seeking clarity from a world much bigger than our own, it’s obviously not everyone's cup of tea. But as Sue says, “There are so many paths up the mountain and it doesn’t matter whether you take the clairvoyant path or a different path. The more steps the better.”

So here's to living your best life whichever path you choose!