Book Review: The Ethical Psychic

 “The Ethical Psychic: A Beginner’s Guide to Healing with Integrity, Avoiding Unethical Encounters and Using Your Gifts for Good.” By Jennifer Lisa Vest, PhD. 2022. North Atlantic Books

 

As a diviner, I have a code of ethics. Moreover, I strongly urge that readers and other psychics receive instruction in ethics as they learn their craft. Not only do diviners (and others) engage with human beings but also with other entities (Gods, Spirits, Ancestors, Souls). Some of these entities provide us with aid and good information. Meanwhile, others want to deceive and do mischief or worse. Still there are those we have been asked to assist by the questioner.

 

Therefore, I welcome Jennifer Vest’s book, “The Ethical Psychic.” Dr. Vest, who has a Doctorate in Indigenous Philosophy, writes from her experiences as a Hoodoo and Reiki practitioner. In addition, she draws upon her time as a teacher and as a consultant at both the university and as a psychic.

 

In her book, Dr. Vest emphasizes how dangerous spirit work is. The goal of an ethical psychic is to be of service to humans and Spirits. Because of the peril, a person has to be sure as to why they want to be a professional psychic. Uncovering motives is an intense process. Therefore, suspect motives include fame, money, and power. She adds job security to that list. To figure all this out, the person needs to do the emotional work. Being a psychic does requires emotional stability.

 

According to Dr. Vest, the definition of an ethical psychic (Note 1) is the following: “An ethical psychic endeavors to be a good person and to do the right thing in his or her practice. An ethical psychic is intentional and conscious in her use of her gifts; she strives to use her gifts to help and never harm, and she takes steps to ensure that no negative consequences results from the expression of her gifts. An ethical psychic does not just seek to do no harm; he consciously and carefully examines all of the possible effects of his work and makes decisions about how to work according to these reflections, doing everything in his power to ensure a positive outcome.”

 

To become an ethical psychic, Dr. Vest suggests first choose teachers carefully. She states that without a teacher, the psychic can be become lost. That makes them dangerous. For example, they can unwittingly leave portals open. Meanwhile, bad teachers will insert their own opinions as advice from the Spirits. Or, they will teach a person how to convince people to follow their advice.

 

Also choose your colleagues carefully since they influence your thinking and actions. Some colleagues will use magic to have people dependent on them. Since you are their colleague, you can become indirectly complicit in their actions.

 

Dr. Vest offers other suggestions such as how to keep a balance. If unbalanced, a person may engage in harmful behavior such as dating clients. Since the psychic is dealing with other worldly entities, they need to be self-aware and honest. Because no one can be a hundred percent accurate, a person should examine their mistakes.

 

For psychics and spirit workers, the most important task is to discern the source of information. For example, there are entities who feed off people’s distress. Some Ancestors may have not the questioner’s best interest in mind. Summoning spirits is dicey at best and is generally ill-advised. In contrast, a God or a Higher-Level Spirit will allow for “inspiration writing” from which flows the “highest and best” information. (Note 2)

 

Doing spirit work entails risks. A psychic can accidently control the destiny of souls or create disharmony among souls. Working with spirits affects the destinies of the living and the Dead. The living can be stuck in their grief or a spirit may refuse to leave the Earth Plane. Depending on the psychic’s beliefs, they could be interfering with karmic contracts between souls or disrupt Ancestral healing.

 

In her “Question and Answer” chapter, Dr. Vest deals with the three “Ds” – Divorce, Disease, and Death. Informing someone about any of these takes great tact and gentleness. How the client is told is important. A reader has to understand what the questioner needs to hear, and how they need to hear it. Impeccable ethics should guide a person in these matters.

 

Notes:

Note 1. Dr. Vest lists hoodoos, witches, brujas, healers and diviners as psychics.

Note 2. African American medium Peter Brown describes “inspiration writing.” “With inspirational writing, you begin each session with a prayer. You ask for divine guidance. Then you have specific questions which you present. And these are answered.”