Psychic school for the everyman

By Nicole Fitzgerald, The Pique Newsmagazine
The Oracle hosts a psychic certificate program this fall at Brew Creek Lodge
Imagine life with the ability to hit the fast-forward button for a quick glimpse of future possibilities. Contrary to gypsy stereotypes, no crystal balls are necessary. Psychic Kelly Oswald says anyone has the ability to tap into their psychic ability. Like learning to ride a bike, skills need to be learned and practiced, and some people have more natural talent than others. “Its about working with the universe to give you the go ahead or to throw caution to the wind,” she says. “These are really valuable tools, life skills… Being psychic is a natural state of being, but practice makes it better.” If you are someone who dreams a lot, finds yourself saying, “I know I should have done that,” and/or wonders at the high number of coincidences and synchronicities in their life, the Psychic Intuitive Consultant Certificate Program this fall might be just the alternative back-to-school incentive you’ve been looking for — but of course, you probably already knew that. Oswald leads the certificate program, broken up into three classes: Psychic Development 101 on Sunday, Sept. 30, Psychic Development 201 on Sunday, Oct. 7 and Psychic Development 301 on Sunday, Oct. 28. The day-long programs are based on the curriculum Oswald developed when she founded the West Coast Institute of Mystic Arts in Vancouver. The practicing psychic of more than 15 years also owns and operates The Oracle in Whistler, holds a BA in Metaphysics and sits on the Association of Holistic Practitioners board. The intensive psychic learning program can be taken as separate modules or as a complete package with each class building on the next. Motivation to attend can span anything from personal interest to professional development. “People who would like to incorporate psychic ability into their work, such as a massage therapist, would benefit from the class by being able to tune into their client better,” Oswald said. “I’ve all types of people from Reiki Practitioners to lawyers in the class to help them access out-of-the-box thinking. Some people may do it just for fun or as part of a personal journey. Once someone has learned the foundation of psychic development, they might want to even work here.” She laughs, but some of The Oracle’s palm and tarot readers had their start in the certificate program. Psychic Development 101 is where everyone begins, regardless of talents. The a, b, c curriculum includes topics such as the chakra system, four lower bodies, energy education, telepathy (reading minds), psychometry (reading off objects) and psychic readings. (Visit the Oracle’s website for a more detailed run down and click on “workshop” then “student work”.) Oswald is always amazed by people’s abilities. “It’s wonderful to see how amazing we are,” she said. “We have so many facets that we haven’t really even begun to explore.” Sitting outside of The Oracle on a park bench, a dragonfly landing on Oswald’s grandmother’s engagement ring reminds her of another curriculum topic. “Signs and omens,” she adds, noting the dragonfly hovers between the worlds of the seen and unseen. In a fast-paced world where communication is only a text message away, a person’s psychic ability weakens like any other unused muscle, but class exercises will whip psychic nudges into shape. “It’s a part of you,” she said. “People are doing it all the time. They are just not conscious of it.”