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WHAT IS AN EMPATH?

Whether you’re just stumbling across the word “Empath” or you’ve known about the label for a while, realizing you’re an Empath changes EVERYTHING. For the first time, who you are makes sense. You aren’t overly sensitive, too emotional/dramatic, ‘crazy’ or woo. You’re an intuitive being who is highly receptive to the energy of the physical and non-physical world, here to usher in a new heart-centered way of being.

SIGNS YOU ARE AN EMPATH:

You feel things about people, places, ideas, etc. and always end up being right
You naturally forgo your own needs and change yourself to make life easier on others
You feel random bouts of explainable mental and physical fatigue
You experience mood swings and often feel as if your emotions don’t match your experience (i.e., being unexplainably sad when grocery shopping)
You are known for being a caring and nurturing person
You are an amazing listener, to others or signs/synchronicities/the energies of the world
Your awareness of our physical environment is greater than normal, e.g. your sense of taste, smell, hearing, touch, etc.
Crowded places tend to overwhelm and drain you
You would do ANYTHING for animals, children and injustice
You value your own space (and alone time) even if you’re an extrovert
If someone close to you is in physical pain, you can feel their pain in your own body
People (those you know and those you don’t) come to you with their life story or their problems
You cannot stand violence or cruelty and if you are around it you feel physically ill

BASICS

To understand empath ability you first have to understand this world is energetic. Everything, including me, you, the device you’re reading this on, that thought you just had, is made up of energy and carries with it a frequency. Empaths are those who are receptive to those energetic frequencies. It seems simple, but unless you’re clairvoyant (can physically see energy), the frequencies behind the thoughts, feelings and emotions of other people, animals, places, things, the earth and universe are invisible and often go unacknowledged on a conscious level. Making Empaths completely unaware they are ‘picking’ up on energy of the external world and confused why they feel so up and down.

Though understanding the world as energetic is considered ‘New Age’, an energetic understanding of the Earth and its people has existed as long as humans, carried through oppression by the strength and resilience of the world’s Indigenous cultures and communities.
TYPES

PHYSICAL

A Physical Empath is highly receptive to the physical pain of others. When empowered, this type of Empath is so receptive to another’s physical state that they can ‘take on’ the pain temporarily to provide insight and action-steps for healing. When this type of Empath is not yet empowered, they easily attract colds, flus, and get physically run down.

EMOTIONAL

An Emotional Empath is someone who feels the emotions of others. These Empaths feel what another feels before those feelings are expressed. Almost all who resonate with being an Empath are Emotional Empaths.

CLAIRCOGNIZANT

A Claircognizant Empath is an Empath that funnels energy through both their heart and intellect. They just know things and are really good at giving advice because they know what needs to be done. They also have the ability to detect lies and inauthenticity.

GEOMATIC

A Geomantic Empath is an Empath who is tapped into the energy of Planet Earth. They have an uncanny ability of predicting Earth shifts and natural disasters. This is often unconsciously felt and manifests as anxiety or deep sadness but if a geomantic Empath has worked on additional intuitive abilities (i.e., claircognizance, see below) it can also manifest as a conscious knowing.

PSYCHOMETRIC

A Psychometric Empaths is finely attuned to the energy of inanimate objects including jewelry, photographs. This type of Empath can either be fascinated by antiques or completely debilitated in a space filled with *old* things.

TELEPATHIC

A Telepathic Empath can read another person’s unexpressed thoughts.

PRECOGNITIVE

A Precognitive Empath can feel a situation or event before it occurs. This happens through emotional, physical sensations or vivid dreams.

ANIMAL

Animal Empaths have a strong energetic connection with animals and their needs. They are often drawn to animal rights or professions that work with animals/animal consciousness like veterinarians or connecting people with their animal totems.

MEDIUM

An Empath who falls under the label of Medium Empath is receptive to the energies of spirit, especially those who have recently passed on. Their awareness for spirit can come across as feelings, seeing, hearing or knowing. These Empaths are highly attuned to seeing ghosts and fascinated by old buildings/hauntings as their presence helps ghosts leave the Earth realm and cross over.

FLORA

And finally – Flora (flower) Empaths have the ability to communicate with plants and channel the wisdom of nature. These Empaths are drawn to holistics and Fae consciousness and are their most authentic selves when grounded in nature or surrounded by plant beings.

Note: Aa an Empath you will more than likely fit under many categories, each providing a clue into your unique purpose.

SPECIFIC ABILITIES

Empaths are able to perceive the frequencies of the physical and non-physical world in a variety of ways. We call these Clairs:

Clairsentient: Clear-feeling (i.e., strong gut feelings, chills)

Clairvoyant: Clear-seeing (i.e., seeing spirit, angels, auras)

Claircognizant: Clear-knowing (i.e., downloads as thought-forms)

Clairaudient: Clear-hearing (i.e. hear direct guidance, music)

Most Empaths identify with being Clairsentient but Empaths are most powerful when they work to strengthen all forms of Intuition.

WHY KNOWING YOU’RE AN EMPATH MATTERS

Realizing you’re an Empath isn’t just about your life finally making sense. Though that’s a huge perk! It’s also the gateway to understanding yourself and this life in a new, more meaningful and empowered way. As an Empath you have a unique set of energetic and emotional needs and when those needs are validated (by others who get it) and nurtured (by a unique set of skills and tools) you are no longer unconsciously influenced by the external world and finally free to explore who YOU are and what it is you are here to do with your beautiful intuitive gifts.

Empaths exist across race, ethnicity, gender, sex, socioeconomic status and ability, and while most people believe empath ability is something *certain* people are born with, I believe we all have the ability to feel and interpret energy and that those of us who fit the empath label were simply born with the layers that keep most of us disconnected from our energetic reality already peeled off.