Clairvoyance: the word itself has French origins from the 19th century — “clair” means clear, “voir” means to see. To see clearly. In the word's meaning there is nothing about seeing the future. It’s about perceiving clearly the present, and at times visions of clarity seeing the past, and with that, a good sense of what’s to come, or what might be done to clear the way to bringing about desired outcomes. Clairvoyance is a very human capacity like our other senses, but in some people it is especially pronounced. When this capacity is naturally present and becomes developed, a person is often considered to have a “gift” for intuitive sight beyond the surface of situations and personalities. This is a spiritual gift, and when it is used ethically it is indeed a spiritual path of helping others.
Among the Celtic peoples, clairvoyance was traditionally known as “second sight,” a term pre-dating clairvoyance by many centuries, but also clearly showing this gift was considered a type of sight beyond physical sight. In our own time the term “sixth sense” is used to refer to clairvoyance as well. A sense beyond the usual five physical senses.
A person who has the gift of second sight, or clairvoyance, did nothing to gain it or achieve it — it is a gift, just as a musical talent or artistic talent is a gift the artist is born with — given by our Creator to the person, and always, as with all gifts, meant to be used for the good of the community, and of the world.
You may find the word clairvoyance more in use today by many with this gift than a term many people consider interchangeable, and that is psychic. The reason for the preference for clairvoyance is to establish a more positive meaning to the word, and for many, to distance themselves and their gifts from psychics who are occult practitioners. Sort of like Harry Potter at Hogwarts — there are wizards, and there are wizards. Some use it for good, and the school strived to teach that. Even so, some chose a dark path. Students learned defenses against the dark arts, because there was also that possibility.
Because psychic can mean many different things and is an umbrella term, many are choosing to use the word clairvoyant — much more specifically relating to the “Art of Clear Seeing.” Those individuals generally work at a much higher level of spirituality, of energy, than those who are fortune tellers, storefront psychics, spell casters and mediums alleging to consult the dead. The traditional image of a gypsy fortune teller, palm reader or card reader, is not the clairvoyant of today.
Today, even in the corporate world, gifted clairvoyants are being hired to help businesses make the best post possible decisions. They often call themselves “Intuitives,” “Intuitive Consultants,” or “Sensitives.” You may have seen this played out in recent episodes of the t.v. show, Medium. One of the good things about the show is that it’s lead character never exploits clients, is not out for greed, and seeks only to help people. But this is mediumship being dramatized and fictionalized. It is not the same as clairvoyance. Whether or not this is the best use of intuitive gifts a matter of debate, but it is a far cry from the old psychic images of popular culture.
A clairvoyant doesn’t engage with the occult. It’s an natural gift in which the clairvoyant sees “pictures” in her mind’s eye, her “third eye,” another name for that sixth sense or second sight.
And the pictures are “read” as energy that tells a story.
A clairvoyant does not need props such as cards, crystals, or any of the other objects or gadgets of psychic reading. The pictures are there, as visions, sometimes with eyes closed, in a light trance, in time, with eyes wide open, a dual vision.
A clairvoyant does not consult with other spirits to get information. The “sight” is clear and natural and embodied in the person.
Clairvoyance is not mediumship, and that cannot be stressed enough. These are two very different things.
Clairvoyance does not predict the future, because the future is never set in stone. It would be an infringement on free will to announce to a person in a “reading” that there was only one possible outcome or path. That leads to self-fulfilled prophecies, and even a lack of hope. The future belongs to God and God alone knows it. Each person’s path is involved with the choices and decisions of others and no one can control that. An ethical clairvoyant can at best, read the present clearly, and give some counsel on next steps best suited to that person’s energy to enable to them to make their own decisions and their own changes and bring about their dreams and desired changes.
Clairvoyance is a spiritual gift, and when used ethically and wisely, is a spiritual pathway to benefit all.
MaryEllen O'Brien, M.A. is a freelance writer, professional clairvoyant, energy healer and spiritual teacher. She lives and plays in Monterey, California.