EPISODE 016: When Life Challenges Your Spiritual Path with Susan Hughes

Dublin-based Spiritual Medium and Psychic, Susan Hughes, discusses how difficult it can be at times, to keep following your spiritual path, when life challenges get in the way or when people who are meant to be the closest to you, tell you, that you are not enough, or that because you see, feel, hear or know of spirit people, there is ‘something wrong with you’.

 

This Week’s Episode

If you’re someone who feels your spiritual path keeps being interrupted due to you having to deal with life’s challenges instead, you are not alone!   Dublin-based Spiritual Medium and Psychic, Susan Hughes spent quite some time caring for her elderly mother, which forced her to examine in-depth her strict upbringing and helped her to strip back the layers of  fear & guilt placed upon her young shoulders.  In this episode, Susan discusses how difficult it can be at times, to keep following your spiritual path, when life challenges get in the way or when people who are meant to be the closest to you, tell you, that you are not enough, or that because you see, feel, hear or know of spirit people, there is ‘something wrong with you’.  Susan talks with great passion about how she finally came to terms with her innate psychic & mediumship abilities and how she places great faith in a spirit world that assists her on a daily basis.

Episode 016 Resources

Here are some resources referred to in Episode 016, which you may find helpful.

• Website: http://susanhughesmedium.com
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Susan-Hughes-Spiritual-Medium-116854321676034/
• Email: [email protected]
• Spiritualist National Union: https://www.snu.org.uk
• Spiritualist National Union International: https://www.snui.org.uk
• Mavis Pitilla: https://www.mavispittilla.com
• Tony Stockwell: https://tonystockwell.com
• Lynn Probert: http://www.lynnprobert.co.uk

About Psychic Matters Podcasts

Ann Théato, CSNUt, Psychic, Medium and Spiritual Tutor, investigates psychic development, mediumship techniques, and paranormal science, so that you can come to understand your own innate psychic ability and expand your knowledge, whilst learning to develop a curious mind.

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PM 016

Hi there, my name is Ann Théato and I am here to teach you proven techniques for spiritual and psychic development from the comfort of your own home. I’m also here to investigate the teachings of experts across the globe, to bring you their wisdom, their advice and their spiritual wealth.

Dublin-based Spiritual Medium and Psychic, Susan Hughes, discusses how difficult it can be at times, to keep following your spiritual path, when life challenges get in the way or when people who are meant to be the closest to you, tell you, that you are not enough, or that because you see, feel, hear or know of spirit people, there is ‘something wrong with you’.

You’ll Learn

• Why we should never stop learning

• The wisdom of having formal training

• How to overcome the challenges of ‘being accepted’

• What happens at a spiritualist naming service

• How the world may not change but your spirit perspective of it can

• How to become less fearful in your life choices

• How to maintain faith in your spiritual path, despite life challenges

• Why ­­you must participate in life and not wait for spirit to lead you

• What is inspirational speaking

TRANSCRIPT

Hello everybody! My name is Ann Théato and welcome to the Psychic Matters Podcast – episode number 16. 

If you’re someone who feels your spiritual path keeps being interrupted due to you having to deal with life’s challenges instead, you are not alone!  Dublin-based Spiritual Medium and Psychic, Susan Hughes  spent quite some time caring for her elderly mother, which forced her to examine in-depth her strict upbringing and helped her to strip back the layers of  fear & guilt placed upon her young shoulders.  In this episode, Susan discusses how difficult it can be at times, to keep following your spiritual path, when life challenges get in the way or when people who are meant to be the closest to you, tell you, that you are not enough, or that because you see, feel, hear or know of spirit people, there is ‘something wrong with you’.  Susan talks with great passion about how she finally came to terms with her innate psychic & mediumship abilities and how she places great faith in a spirit world that assists her on a daily basis.

Ann
I’m here today with Spiritual Medium and Psychic, Susan Hughes.  Susan, welcome to Psychic Matters!

Susan
Hi Ann, thanks ever so much for inviting me to have a chat with you.

Ann
It’s a pleasure I can’t wait to hear all about your work and what you do. So, handing over to you Susan, tell everyone where you live, who you are and what you are about.

Susan
Okay, well I am Susan Hughes and I live in Dublin Ireland, and I am born and bred, I haven’t moved and although I like to travel around and see things, I do like to come home. Just to give a little bit of information of how my spiritual side manifested and how I learned I was a psychic and a medium, I am from a Catholic family of 7 children and many people will know that religions and Catholicism in particular, a lot of it is based on fear.  So, I grew up in quite a fearful, constricted, controlled, childhood where you found it difficult to express yourself wholly and fully.  And I was the sixth of seven children, so I’m an Irish twin, many people in the world will know about them. So, I’m sure my mum was quite fed up having children. Life was a bit different for me as a child.  Moving on from there, I knew I was different.  I kept having these funny experiences, but I was always a bit envious of those mediums who said, ooh, I saw my granddad, or I saw my grandmother, I was two or I was four, I never saw that, that never happened.  So, I was kind of going oh, well maybe I’m not a medium because I didn’t experience that, although I did experience other things.  So, moving on then to my late teens, I was 18 and found myself pregnant, which, you can imagine in Ireland in those days young women who were pregnant were called unmarried mothers, whereas today they are single parents, which is a much nicer adjective to use.  I was really struggling with trying to work out what was I doing on this Earth?  There needs to be more to this life to make it easier to live through, if there was a reason for it.  And I actually went to my local church, there was nobody there, so I went to sit to try and see if I could receive a faith or an understanding or something, which I don’t know if I did receive, but from that point I started researching.  I was a prolific reader, so I went to the library and I started taking out books because I needed to know and understand, how do I know these things that seem so common place or common-sensicle to me, and other people don’t.  So, I needed to put it in box, even though it shouldn’t be tightly closed that box.  So I was fascinated on these books, psychology, and then I started looking into Near Death Experiences, and then I got a book about psychism and I actually taught myself using these books or this particular book, to do psychic readings using playing cards, which were a plenty in our house.  Being Irish you’d spend a lot of time playing cards because the weather doesn’t permit outside.  But I got a bit of a fright because things I was seeing were actually happening. So, I got a bit of a fright and I left it to the side. Now that would have been my early 20’s then.  So, I got married and had a couple of more children, delightfully so. And in my 30’s the research really started off again.  I actually did a year’s study in psychology Because I’m still trying to understand people.  Why did they do that when they should know this.  That kind of thing.  And I also, as I was working as a psychic, I really began to understand that I could assist this person to heal or progress, but I could also do a lot of damage if I were to say the incorrect thing. So, I did also a year’s study in counselling and I didn’t do any more because I couldn’t afford it, because it’s very expensive to train.  So, I found an online site called Delphi which Craig Hamilton Parker had. And on there I discovered that I was a medium and I can tell you that the first time I experienced the energy of a guide I was terrified because I hadn’t a clue what that was about. And I actually shut the computer down and went, I can’t handle that. But I went further in questioning it and so obviously they don’t frighten me now.  It’s the power of the energy.  So, I began to go to England to Violet Kipling and Minister Doris Smith to do training.  I did that twice a year.  Now at that point I didn’t know about the SNU or spiritualists.  I just knew I needed to find out more about what is going on.  I needed to find out the truth of it. So, I would be a truth seeker and you would know Ann, the way I would, and many people who have the sensitivities, we know when people are not telling the truth but we learn as we mature to not be as blatant at pointing the finger.  Because when you’re pointing a finger out there’s four pointing back, you know that kind of a way.

Ann
Yes.

Susan.
So, I went, and I did all these studies and I was very lucky because Vi and Doris were fabulous tutors to teach.  And it was there at one of these events, I think it was in Middlesbrough, we went for a break and I wasn’t going to go back, I was staying at a little place across the way, I wasn’t going to go back for the afternoon session, I was tired, but I went oh I’d better go back, Vi’ll kill me, so I went back and the room was all set up. There was an empty chair at the front, there was three other people sitting there and it was a spiritual naming service and I was one of the chosen students to get it done.  Now the person who gave me my spiritual name was Minister Eric Hatton. Now, I didn’t know him other than this is a really nice man.  He’s a beautiful man and his wife Heather was there that weekend also, beautiful people.  Now since after that I’ve discovered that, and he’d been President of the SNU and he was big high up but he was an inspiration to me because this was a genuine person.  On this online site Delphi, it’s Worldwide obviously, the web is open to everywhere and I became a teacher on that site eventually.  I realise now you know, looking forward all these years, that I got a great grounding in spiritualism.  And then moving forward, I am a CSNU in Speaking and Demonstrating and I am in process of getting my official SNU teacher training badge.  So, in between all of that life has to go on and the struggles I had with having this faith and this knowing and this understanding about what can be and things can bet better it was rather difficult at times.   And people can be plain nasty can’t they Ann?

Ann
Oh yes.

Susan
They can just be plain nasty. And it doesn’t matter if they’re spiritualists or non-spiritualists, if people haven’t discovered themselves and how to deal with themselves, they are going to try and pull other people down.  Now it is said in Ireland we are a country of begrudgery, I don’t like that really because I think we’re great, but I do know some people don’t like people going up the ladder, you know that kind of a way, instead of us all encouraging each other.  So at one point, I spoke with Violet online, I left spiritualism, I left mediumship, because I said, I was so naïve that I thought if you were a spiritualist, you truly were living through your spirit self, you truly were goodness and light even though life was going to go on but it turned out it wasn’t true. So, my naivete got a kick up the bum.  However, I did go back to it thankfully.  Now during this time, I mean I had very little support emotionally or financially around me to do all of these things, because everything I learned, I had a thousand more things to learn.  Everything, and it still happens Ann, everything I learn, leads to other things, that you need to learn.

Ann
Well, that’s very true, you go down a rabbit hole and then you go down another little line of enquiry and another line of enquiry …

Susan
That’s totally it.  I just don’t understand people who think they know it all because nobody can know it all, there is so much to know.

Ann
Yes, there is a lot to learn.

Susan
That’s not just in Spiritualism it’s within life itself.

Ann
Yes, that’s right.  Let me pause you for a moment because I know that there’s lots to come and that’s very exciting, but I’d like to go back if I may.  You talk about when you were young, that you never saw dead people like other people have seen, get an indication that they are a medium by seeing, I don’t know, shadows or figures when they were little so you didn’t do that, but you did say you experienced other things.  Can you enlighten us what those other things might be?

Susan
Sure. So, it was my understanding, it was like I just knew things.  Remember I’m a shy child, a quiet child and yet I was called cheeky because I used to say things, that I suppose shouldn’t be said because they were truthful and honest, they weren’t nasty.  But I also remember having out of body experiences, I just felt I was in a different world.  And one particular one, I was standing on the stairs in my childhood home and I felt like I had travelled.  I was tingling and it was like I was in a bubble of really powerful energy.  Now I wouldn’t have described that as a child but as an adult, I can understand it.  I like people who are left of centre, you know, slightly different. So, I was left of left, of centre. I just couldn’t fit in to anything. I couldn’t fit into any group, which is interesting because I was out yesterday with four childhood friends, who are not in any way spiritual.  That’s a terrible thing to say, they are spiritual beings, but they are not spiritualists or psychics or medium.  It is wonderful to be accepted you see.  I found it difficult to be accepted in circles and it was because I suppose, I spoke differently, even though I didn’t understand I was speaking differently, I was just speaking from the point of view of truth and my understanding of what that is.  And interesting, many years later, at 16, you are going to debs and you’re going to parties and things like that, and I wasn’t invited, and this is not a sob story by the way, just so as you know, and I wasn’t invited and many years later, I asked one of the blokes that we used to hang out with, I said why was that and he said we just didn’t know what to do with you.

Ann
(laughs) What does he mean by that?

Susan
Well you know because I was too different, to fit into the expectations of how people were supposed to be.  Now I didn’t understand that, I really didn’t.  I thought I was just me. Well I know I was just being me actually.  And I struggled with it.  And I’ve struggled with it all my life, and even within this spiritual movement, I’m still not quite fitting in, do you see, even though I fit in enough, but I am now of the age where I can accept myself and say well I am going to do this anyway.

Ann
Yes.

Susan
When my father passed that was devastating to me, absolutely devastating to me, because this was the one person that I knew loved me unconditionally, even though there were conditions because he was an Irish Catholic, so we have to understand that also, this was the only person in the whole world who loved me totally and he had left this Earth. And we nursed him at home because he was ill, and I was delighted to be able to assist him in his transition, because he was so afraid of crossing over Ann, so afraid, and I have no fear of crossing over, I don’t want to do it yet, but I have no fear because I can’t wait to find out the answers to all these questions.

Ann
I’m with, I can’t wait to go, I’m really excited about it.

Susan
Yes, and you can say well why was that and tell me more and I don’t know if I’d be jumping back, spiritualism doesn’t really recognise second lives and third lives but, you know, anyway, that’s another conversation isn’t it?

Ann
That’s spiritualism the religion, not a spiritual life.

Susan
Yes

Ann
You were talking about your father’s fear of passing but how was that manifesting itself?

Susan
Well he was afraid of leaving mum on her own, he was afraid of what he may or may not meet. Now this was a man who passed, he actually said to me I have no regrets and I have no enemies so whether or not he had enemies he didn’t see them as enemies, so I thought that was lovely.  But I had a dream about two weeks before Dad passed and about these ladies preparing a bed in the spirit world for my dad.  Now my dad’s mother passed he was 13 or 14 and he had had a very difficult childhood from that. So, I have no clue what my grandmother looks like. But we also had no idea of father’s family, very little because it was a Protestant Catholic mix, so people were ostracized. Same thing happened on my mother’s side as well so Catholic & Protestant you don’t speak to family and you don’t hear about them. So, the fact that my granddad was British, and my grandmother was Irish had a huge issue as well. So, we have no connection with grandmother’s side of the family.  But I was speaking with my dad the next day and I said dad, I saw these three ladies and one was, if I remember correctly, one was Annie, which was his sister and the other was a lady called Molly who I had no clue and the other lady I felt was my grandmother. And I actually thought I look like her. So, I went oh. So, I spoke to dad about this and he said oh that’s my auntie Molly and I went oh great and I said this other lady who I think is your mom and they’re ready for your dad. And it gave him some peace.  And so, he passed two weeks later.  Now, one thing he said to me and he said now Susan will you look after my mom and I said you know what dad if you weren’t dying, I’d kill you because that’s a challenge, that’s a challenge. This Irish woman who was so used to everyone looking after her, but I did. And I did because I loved my mom. She has passed, she passed April 25 this year.

Ann
I’m sorry to hear that.

Susan
Yeah, I know but you know she was a great age. We called her the elder Perry because that was her maiden name and she was 88. The last six months of her life were very difficult really difficult.  So, I’m happy for her to be at peace.  And can I also say that she was in a nursing home, she had been transferred from the hospital, she’s been in and out of the hospital, so we eventually got her into a nursing home and the next day the lockdown happened, so anyway. But the night she passed we went there and she had not a wrinkle on her face and she looked so peaceful and I said, that’s what the death needs to look like, that’s what death, the leaving of the body, leave it in the condition that it’s used up but beautiful. And then to transition. So, I was happy for her. But I missed my father I still do.  Awfully, terribly, terribly, terribly. And I still chat with him and I know that he comes around me a lot because I can feel him and sense him.  And Mum then I looked after, these last seven years I became her official carer, which was difficult, but she was a difficult woman.

Ann
Yes, mothers can be difficult.

Susan
Yes, she was a difficult woman and even though we got lovely when she passed, Oh I remember and she was lovely and she was this and I said, are we talking about the same woman? But she was lovely in that way so good.  So during all these times I am trying to maintain my studies, my faith, my understanding, where am I to go with my mediumship, what am I to do, and healing, everyone can say no, you’re a healer and I can say well everyone’s a healer it’s what fashion or what method or modality they wish to, you know put that out, so I chose to use, I’m quite good with words, most the time sometimes I get tongue-tied, but when I’m in that space and the energy space and I love the psychic part of that soul connection with another when the two souls can connect and reach that understanding. So, I decided to use words as inspirational spaces for people and spaces where they can have an understanding of how to access that which needs to be healed. If indeed there is anything that needs to be healed. So, I get a lot of joy from that, from seeing people being able to stand on their own two feet and have hope. Because if you don’t have hope you have very little. That’s my opinion. You may live your life but without hope it’s difficult. Whatever about having faith, I have a strong faith in spirit and the continuing of life I have a very strong faith in that and when it comes to having faith in myself, I still struggle with that. Am I doing the right thing? Is this OK? Do I need to learn more? That person over there knows more than me I want to learn about that as well. But we can’t all be the same. If we all have the same learnings, life would be very boring and there would be no healthy discussions.

Ann
Well exactly and everybody’s got different talents and different skills that they bring especially to the field spirituality I think because it’s so large. Susan, your mother and your relationship with your mum, how did she feel as a strong Roman Catholic woman, what did she feel about you being a psychic medium?

Susan
Well, I shall say that she didn’t pay me much attention, Ann.  She didn’t really pay me much attention, once I behaved myself and did what she said, so. There was no interest, no interest, you know.

Ann
But did she…I’m asking this for two reasons.  I have an Irish mother, as you know, we had a little chitchat before the podcast began and she is very strong Roman Catholic and she doesn’t want anything to do with this. She won’t even let me mention psychic or spiritualism, she just won’t have it. And there must be other people within other religions that listen to this podcast, who have possibly a similar thing. And I’m just wondering if, so I have those questions myself, like, or I have had them, I’ve had to work through them.  Am I doing the right thing? Should I be following this path? Is it wrong?  I’ve sorted it out for myself now and as you can see, I’m merrily flying down the path, happy as Larry.  But how about you?

Susan
I have found it difficult alright to maintain that faith and belief, when people around you are saying you are mad, you’re crazy, and I say but there’s the more, you need to look at the more. Mother was difficult, I will say, so, of course, many of us will have Tarot cards and such like and she wouldn’t have them in the house, do you know, that kind of a way, I don’t feel it was mentioned that it was evil but it was bad luck, so there’s lots of superstitions around that.  But interestingly Ann, my mum had dementia. Well that’s not the interesting thing but my mum had dementia and as she moved further into that illness she, because I would be maybe be doing some online work or I would be throwing a few cards out and she’s saying, oh they’re really interesting, what are they about? Are you getting work? Oh, that’s really nice.  So, as she moved more into her dementia, she became more aware of the ability that I had in training and still I’m training for.  And I wonder, and I feel with the wonderment, that as people move in to Alzheimer’s and dementia, it is said that they become closer to the spirit world.  So, I wonder was her understanding of the afterlife really coming to the fore because she was half in and half out.  So, she became really interested in what I did.

Ann
Yes, that’s very interesting how she softened.

Susan
Absolutely and she also softened towards me as well to the point that she was able to say I really appreciate you and I really love you.

Ann
Wow.

Susan
And I thought how wonderful and I appreciate that. And I appreciate that, because to have those questions after she passes would be very difficult.  And I’m not left with those questions.  Now, I have to say she could be right one Ann, she was a right one and it was difficult dancing around her and her needs but, you know, when you see that, that the truth of her, again there’s that word truth of her, just emanating from her in those moments, I thought that was very beautiful. So, I am grateful for that.

Ann
Yes I bet you are and you’re very lucky to have witnessed that and to have heard her say those words to you and you can always keep that in your heart knowing that’s more the truth of who she is, then the whole of her human life with you.

Susan
Her own past and her own childhood, that was rarely spoken about so you wouldn’t know and I know she adored her father, I know she did, and was devastated when he passed many years ago, so it’s interesting that here I am and adored my father. Now, I’m from a family of seven and so my relationship with my dad is different from all the other people’s relationship but I was lucky like that again, to have afforded that time with him before he got gravely ill, to understand who he is and where he has come from. And you know the stories he told me about his own childhood, remember his mum passing so young and so that again is my, this is where I want to be with people. I want to understand you. And why you are who you are.  And perhaps with the ability and my sensitivities and soul connection I can show you a choice that you may have, because it is all about choices. I spent my life feeling I had no choice.

Ann
When you say no choice, no choice in what regard?

Susan
No choice in, I had to be a certain person. I had to be a certain way. I couldn’t speak out I couldn’t do my thing. One night I was out in a nightclub, now listen to this, and his person who I vaguely knew, came striding towards me, now we’re having a great old night, a few drinks on board, all of that, this person comes over into my face and was verbally attacking me, I was afeared that he was going to hit me, about oh you’re that person who does this and talks to… I was just… people are so afraid of what we do Ann.

Ann
Yes, there are people who are very frightened about it, yes because they don’t understand

Susan
No and we are not reading anybody’s mind.  Nobody’s mind is read, honestly, I wouldn’t like you reading my mind, I honestly wouldn’t, connect with my soul, fire away.  So, all of those incidents make it very difficult to maintain the, your awareness in a positive light.  I do know, there’s a story in the back of my mind and I mentioned it to, Mavis Pitilla is a mentor of mine now and I mentioned it to her, and she said no that’s not a story I told you.  I think it must’ve been Vi or Doris and they spoke about this woman in her faith. She was a spiritualist and she used to go to church and the husband didn’t like it, used to beat her up and she would still leave and get on a bus and go to her church. Now that’s faith.  I feel it was given to me as an example.

Another thing, the thing about being of service.  Now again Irish girl, four brothers, three sisters I’m not going to be anybody’s servant, how dare they ask me of that, but of course it’s a different service isn’t it?  It’s not run around cleaning up although that’s what we could do as well, so to be of service is something I’m very honoured to be part of. It’s an honourable sacred space of love and compassion. So again my naïveté I suppose, which I still maintain, which I really want to get rid of at my age but hey it’s still going, that people are to be from my loving compassionate space and I do feel people try but the struggle of trying to fit this in to a life where they can be so much negativity. So, you need to adjust perspective. The world doesn’t change but your spirit perspective of it can.

Ann
Yes and it’s very interesting how enlightened your soul is and yet you were born into that place, that country in this particular decade, at that time, with all those challenges that that brought to your soul to try to grow through and understand all those challenges that you had.

Susan
Yes I do wonder and I would say sometimes, ah lads, really?  Really come on, you want me to do that. Or what’s going to happen next because every time you feel you have a foothold on the next part, other parts of your life just come thundering down. So being able to stand within that, in your spiritual soulful space, while the world goes on anyway, it can be difficult. It is a struggle at times. But if you have that faith in the spirit world and here’s the other thing, that I would kind of share with people, that spirit are not the blame for everything or they can’t be congratulated for everything. You need to be a participant in your life instead of hanging out and waiting for Spirit to show you the way. Start walking that path and feel it and see.  So, my faith is very strong now I can tell you that.  Years and years and years of people saying, you’re mad and I think we should all maintain just a little bit of madness, that could be the Irish in us Ann, though.

Ann
Yeah well exactly, I’m 2^nd generation Irish by the way for anybody he doesn’t know my mother is from Ireland.  You talk about your faith though, so what do you mean by the word faith, you say I have my faith – what is that to you?

Susan
I have my faith that there is another world when we pass and it’s interesting because I am married a very long time and very, very long time for someone so young and married a very long time but he and I have different opinions. Now I will tell you that I feel is a spiritual person and I know the goodness and kindness that is within him, but we have different opinions and of course him being a man thinks he’s right, and of course me being me says meh, we’ll see.  So, he believes that there may be nothing when we leave our physical body and I totally believe there is another world waiting to welcome us home. So, I say to him well one of us is right and either way we’re both going to be OK. But my faith because I’ve touched it, and I see people from spirit world, I sense it, I feel it, and that does keep me going in those times. Now I am human, so I will suffer from angst, and not wholly depression but depressive times and emotional times, because remember I was brought up in a family that you did not express emotions, you held onto it, you didn’t cry, you didn’t give in, you didn’t let anyone win because you had to be in that space and now I’m so accepting of other people and their journey, that it is my faith that I know there is goodness in everyone and I know there is a beautiful other world that is there supporting me and I will return home to it when this body of mine decides to give up. Now during my life, speaking of bodies giving up I’ve had many illnesses, so I know many mediums and psychics, but mediums specifically have had grave illnesses.   I myself have MS and I also had skin cancer, which is interesting because I’m the one who is telling everyone to put on the sunscreen, put on the sunscreen so obviously it was from childhood when we would all be running around getting burned and then I had severe issues with a gallbladder and it went on for years.   So eventually I had an operation to try and fix it, and from that operation I had the doctor, not deliberately of course, nicked my liver.

Ann
He stole your liver.

Susan
He nicked it with a knife, he cut the liver but in error.  So, an abscess grew on it and I was on holidays in Tenerife and I was taken to hospital I think on our second last day, and I nearly died because it was a big huge abscess on my liver about to burst, so septicaemia was setting in.  So, two weeks I spent in the hospital over there, and while I was there, I was kind of thinking, you know, well I nearly died.  Why didn’t I get that near-death experience that I’m fascinated by? And the answer came to me Ann – that you already know. You already know. I felt like my spirit people around me saying you already know.  There is no need for you to have that huge experience. And a friend of mine happened to be in Tenerife at that time she came to visit me herself and a partner and she says there’s such a sense of peace in this room. Now I’m really, really, ill remember but she says there’s such a sense of peace in this room.  So, I know my spirit people were hanging out with me, my spirit tribe, my spirit people.  So about a year later, a friend of mine and I won’t mention her name and it’s not because I wouldn’t because she’s great, wrote a piece that was almost identical to the piece I’d written about  my experience of, you know, but you already know you don’t need this, so I got on to her and I said, well you know, and she said no, that’s what happened to me, I never read that piece, and I knew she is a medium as well.  So, isn’t it interesting, that in those big times of need, she nearly died also? So, you know, we Irish have a saying what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger, well certainly I came out of that stronger with an absolute belief that I need to push forward.  Now, because I was caring for my mum, again remembering this was a very controlling woman, I couldn’t do an awful lot because I had to be there with her, willingly because I had chosen it.  So now that she has passed, I’m kind of doing a bit of a life review, saying, gosh where am I going to go now.  And my life actually, I was I thinking my life actually has been quite small really, but I mentioned this to you, I did say to someone said I need to do this thing but I’m a bit boring and she said I don’t think you’re boring it’s all about perspective and that’s us comparing ourselves to others isn’t it?

Ann
Yes, exactly because the fascination is in the everyday in the struggles that you’ve had, that people listening to this will be able to relate to so well. They will be able to relate to elderly parents, sick parents, difficult upbringings, difficult relationships and things like that. So, I know that you caring for your mother and your father of course but your mother in recent times; did that take you away from your spiritual path for a while?

Susan
It did a bit, it did a bit, because when you’re kind of in the negative space, of, because sometimes I would be brought right back to my childhood in that space of fear and this tiny little woman I’m so afraid of, but as time progressed, I was able to accept it more.  Again, my husband used to say to me Susan, there are two things you need to accept – it’s your mother and your hair.  Because they were two things, I had big issues with.

Ann
Hilarious.

Susan
Yes, so it did pull me away from all that I had hoped to do, I wanted to do, and I was seeing everyone else progressing so, and you see all their posts on Facebook. Why am I not able to do this? I could have very selfishly just said right I’m not minding you anymore mum, but then that wouldn’t have been me. I wouldn’t have been able to live with that. So, it did pull on me a bit and I said there’s no point of me doing this. There’s no point in me being who I am and working as a medium and a psychic when there’s all these other people are doing it.

Ann
And what have you learned from that experience then?

Susan
Because everyone is different, everyone is unique and some people, I was going to say do need me, or need someone like me that says it like it is within that space of soul compassion and kindness. I am a very kind person and I think everybody is. I think if you give everyone an opportunity to be kind they will. That feeds into my faith. And it feeds into my knowledge that, if I have this capability and ability to assist others, well then that’s my role and it’s not that it doesn’t matter what else is going on for me in my life, it’s that I can remove myself from that temporarily to assist another.  And I’m not the angel of God I’m not upping myself that way, Ann, but I am saying if you find your role, go for it. Until the point where it changes, and you need to adapt to other things. I’m back working now and I’m trying to up my profile I suppose a wee bit because people forget very quickly don’t, they, since my mum passed it was like I’m free now to choose as an adult independently.

Ann
Well that’s a very interesting turn of phrase you’ve just used there – as an adult – because she had such a seemingly such a strong effect on you that now you can step into who you truly are in the fullness of who you are.

Susan
Yes, that would be correct.

Ann
You could perhaps become the adult she wouldn’t let you be or because she was still so controlling of you through your, I don’t know amateur psychology here …

Susan
Ah, no it’s working well, it’s working well.  Now, I was left with many issues and I have a friend who’s a hypnotherapist and she very kindly did a couple of sessions with me, and they were amazing if anyone would have a look at that for themselves, because it removed the fear from me. That fear that was inbred. And I didn’t even know what was feeding it anymore. And so, I’m less fearful now. And so stronger and more able. Now whether or not I continue to my deathbed being a medium or psychic is yet to be told. I feel I shall because I feel its part of my wholeness and journey on this. My mother now is in the spirit world and so she will now be an assistant and helper for me. Because I know that her own inadequacies and lack of being able to express emotion that I know she felt, no longer exists. So, the purity of my mum can be with me now. That little snippet that I saw before she passed through the dementia.  I’m excited now I feel free, I feel I’m an adult and I am 56 don’t tell anyone that

Ann
I will tell no- one.

Susan
Don’t tell anyone that and isn’t it interesting, it’s not til the age of 56 and I’m sure many will understand what I’m trying to share, that at some point in our life we come into our own and it’s not until we do that we realise that all those other times have only fed this moment. Part of my journey needs to be a teaching aspect, just to show others how they can, not benefit as such but how they can be true to themselves.  And of course, my grounding would be in mediumship and psychism so that’s where I would be teaching because I feel, and I may be wrong, but the ego that everyone seems to be always banging on about is a requirement in human nature. It’s the imbalance of that that causes the issue. My hope would be to assist people to maintain balance. And take in information like a sponge. Many years ago, like I mentioned Vi before, Vi Kipling said to me if it’s too much information take only what you need at this moment because the other information can be accessed at a later date. So too much information is as bad as no information. That’s what I feel, so I would feel that moving forward I would like access that teaching aspect for me and I couldn’t set up any dates or appointments or such as I may have to drop them at the last minute.

Ann
Well that’s the trouble when you are caring for somebody else or you’re home schooling your children as many people have been doing, or not home schooling and just doing school run and doing that, you know, taking the kids here, there and everywhere is, all of these things can take us away from, we feel are taking us away from…

Susan
There’s the other thinking that you know, well God never gives you a bigger cross than you can carry.  Yeah, yeah but really? Did I need to know that?

Ann
I think he does.  I think he piles about 5 million on top of you.  And then another 5 million.

Susan
And everything is a lesson and I’m going really?  Come on!

Ann
I know. You get sick of all life’s lessons.  Enough learning,

Susan
I think I’ve had enough of those lessons.  I want other kind good, wonderful, inspiring lessons, but I’ve had enough of those ones.

Ann
Exactly, so tell us Susan, you’ve spoken a lot through this episode about the SNU and your qualification as a CSNU.  Can you explain to some of the listeners who may not understand what that is what is the SNU? What are these qualifications? What is the difference between SNU and ordinary spirituality?

Susan
The difference is that one is a certificate to say you can do this, that’s what it is, the SNU, the Spiritualist National union which is British-based and remember I’m Irish, so there’s not much SNU stuff within the Republic of Ireland and I think there’s only one in Northern Ireland, but it’s prolific throughout Britain, Scotland, Wales and England. And it is a spiritualist movement. Now, the CSNU I have is a certificate which means I have achieved a certain standard within my mediumship and my speaking. Now, I will say many years ago there was not a hope I would’ve stood up in front of two people never mind 200 people. Not a hope. Because there was this shyness within me, there was this I’m not good enough anyway to do it, you know the Irish upbringing, I’m not good enough for that anyway, but now I love inspirational speaking because it’s about inspiring or igniting that soul to open up to the quality of what the potential of your life can be. So, I love doing that. So, you know, never say never.

Ann
People may not understand what inspirational speaking is or where you might do it.

Susan
It is within a service a spiritual service, which is some prayer, the inspirational address, which is talk from the soul space to the congregation. Just positivity and life challenges which may inspire them to keep going and not give up on hope. So, the Certificate just means that you know, I can contact people and say I am a CSNU, because they wouldn’t know me from Adam and like I say there is very little going on within the Republic. There is lots of training and stuff like that but very little services or spaces where people can gather. Which is unfortunate.

Ann
It is unfortunate and I think it has to be acknowledged, that attaining a CSNU with the SNU is a very high level of,  it’s a very high level of qualification there is a lot of work behind that and it  doesn’t come easy.

Susan
It is a lot of work. Yeah so it is a wonderful achievement.  It is quite difficult to achieve and again like here in Ireland, so I would’ve had to travel to Britain to do all that but it is wonderful because it does give me access, when I can get to that space where I can access other things and churches and such like. So, the SNU do offer excellent educational studies so if you are interested, not that I’m selling it for them, but if you were interested, it is worth your while looking at the website and seeing what they have to offer.

Ann
And there is the Spiritualist National Union International for those that don’t live in the UK.

Susan
That is correct, which is online

Ann
Online training and they do, they offer some incredible courses and accreditations.

Susan
Absolutely now the thing about online, people kind of worry that it’s not the same and I can guarantee you it is because that’s where I started my first training, proper spiritual training was online. I know from that energy that once permission is offered you can be anywhere in the world and we can do that so connection.

Ann
So, a couple of things I still want to ask you, you mentioned earlier on that you were terrified when you first experienced the energy of a guide. Can you explain what happened? And why you are no longer frightened?

Susan
I can.  Because I had never experienced it before, and knowledge dispels fear, doesn’t it?

Ann
Absolutely.

Susan
So, I’m sitting online in the other room I remember it, I remember it because I could still see the guide, I can still see how he appeared to me and his name. So, I’m sitting there and I’m in a class where you have to connect with guides and stuff like that and then this overwhelming power hit me if you can imagine it like an ocean wave, huge, hitting you. And it took my breath away.

Ann
How old were you Susan?

Susan
I’m not young I would be maybe in my late 30s.

Ann
And how much training had you done at the time?  Were you aware of other energies?

Susan
I discovered it when I found this online site, Delphi, that there’s more, that there’s more, this is it, so I actually felt oh wow this is it, this may be what I’m looking for.  This may be an answer to that gnawing sensation that I need more.

Ann
So, hold on, hold on, go back, go back, you are sitting on your chair and what happened?

Susan
We were within this class space online; we were to go into meditation or a guided thing we were to meet our guides and I saw this large gentleman and he was in like +fours is that what they call them?

Ann
Yes.

Susan
An English gentleman, tweed suit, his name was Gideon and the power hit me like an ocean wave and I got terribly frightened because I didn’t understand it took my breath away. 

Ann
Yep.

Susan
So, I actually exited. I thought I had touched on something I shouldn’t have you know that kind of a way.

Ann
Right.

Susan
So, it’s like did I stick my finger in the electric socket and maybe I shouldn’t have? So, the next day I went back in and I was again speaking to someone about the experience and they said oh don’t worry about that, try it again. And I did. So, because I was expecting that surge of energy, that change of energy, I was more willing and accepting to have that conversation, which then became an exciting thing for me.

Ann
So how did it feel the second time?

Susan
I felt peaceful, it felt exciting. What are you going to share with me? What are you going to tell me?  Give me the information.

Ann
Yes, that’s more the feeling I get when guides come close is that excitement it’s a beautiful loving feeling and a kind of fizzing and bubbling.

Susan
Yes, exactly fizzing and bubbling, that’s a great description, I love that.

Ann
I was just interested to see what that was like. And you also mentioned a spiritual naming ceremony with Eric Hatton but I don’t know… spiritual naming ceremony sort of seems to be self-explanatory but I don’t think I really, really know what it is, so could you explain somebody gave you a spiritual name?  I’ve not heard of that before.

Susan
It’s a Spiritualist thing and in this instance it was Eric Hatton, so they sit with their spirit guides and they receive a name for the person they are doing the ceremony for, because that is the name or quality or whatever that they are known in the spirit world.

Ann
Ah, I see.

Susan
So, listen, cos this is a bit funny and a bit strange because welcome to my life because nothing is ever straightforward. So, my name given name was diadem D I A DE M, so the person next to me got Mary, Pearl,  Rose. So, we’re all sitting there and I’m going,  Diadem? What is that? So, Vi and Doris went home that night and they researched it and they came back and it’s a princess’s crown, a princess crown. So, they had brought back in a little child’s tiara and a little child’s wand and they had a little card written out.  So, my name is Diadem now, which is Princess. Which is very interesting because, and I’m not saying I’m a princess by the way but I’m just saying it was interesting because on the online site that I spoke to you about, a couple of friends called me princess. I would call them Empress or queen you know we had these nicknames and mine was princess, so isn’t that interesting. Synchronicity.

And so I’m very proud of that and like I said I had no clue who Eric Hatton was other than he is this beautiful man with his lovely lovely wife, you know I think he embodied what I now know a spiritualist person needs to be or to be lovely lovely yes very nice it is nice look into it I will do look into it I will I shall just have a little nose on the Internet about that makes enquiries to people it’s very interesting I wonder what my spirit is your name is yeah it’s interesting it’s not lovely so

So that is interesting, and he knew nothing about that obviously.

Susan
Exactly and because it was years before.  So, it’s very interesting, that I and I’m not ego princess all of that but it is nice to know, and I am a Leo as well, so this is the royalty side of us, us Leo’s, the regal side.  But it is nice to know that someone of stature can assist and again I’m not talking about me but you know people can look up to people, and so when I discovered that, and I’m generally a humble person anyway and shy and very hesitant about coming forward, but I thought the ceremony was absolutely beautiful because it gives you an inspirational inkling of how spirit world perceives you. And where you would need to push forward.

Ann
Interesting.

Susan
Yes, it is lovely, it is a lovely thing.  And so I’m very proud of that and like I said I had no clue who Eric Hatton was other than he is this beautiful man with his lovely, lovely wife, you know I think he embodied, what I now know a spiritualist person needs to be – ought to be.

Ann
Lovely, lovely, yes very nice

Susan
It  is nice look into it, do look into it.

Ann
I will, I shall just have a little nose on the Internet about that and make some enquiries to people, I wonder what my spiritual name is.

Susan
Yeah.  It’s interesting isn’t it?

Ann
So, you’re back, your mother I’m, may I just say please accept my condolences, I’m so very sorry that she has passed, and I know that there must be times that’s difficult for you still.

Susan
It is, but she is 88 so she’s lived a long life much longer than any member of her family and so and she had been rather ill for the previous months before passing so I’m pleased for her.

Ann
Yes, the great release must be lovely.  So, you’re back now so you’re now stepping into your power, Susan Hughes, here she is she’s ready to go she is a spiritual medium living in Dublin Ireland. What are you offering to people, where can they find you, what’s on the cards for the next little while?

Susan
They can find me online on Facebook I’m Susan Hughes Spiritual Medium. Website www.susanhughesmedium.com and they will find all details on how to contact me on my Facebook page or website.  I like organising this is where part of the controlling aspect of my life comes to the fore because to be a good organiser you need to be a bit of a controller. So I love organising things because even though I couldn’t invest my whole time personally to teach and to do shows I suppose people like to call them, I like inviting those who I absolutely respect and know that I have a fund of knowledge to share with others. So, the likes of Mavis Pitilla, Tony Stockwell who I know that you know well and Lynn came over to me once before as well, Lynne Probert.

Ann
Lynne Probert, yeah.

Susan
This is what I was able to do while I couldn’t do all that I needed and wanted to do so that kind of kept my finger in the pie but again like I said as a bit of a controller I’d like to be in control of that. So Tony does come over to me, this is about the fifth year but we were due to go to Kinsale in County Cork and of course with the coronavirus it was decided, we decided for health and safety reasons we shouldn’t be doing it in person, so it’s moved to online. But again, on my Facebook page or website those details are there. So, I’m easy to connect with I’m easy to contact and I do mediumship readings, soul connections, psychic. I tell you what I do, whatever is needed on the day, that’s what I’m drawn to do. So, people may come to me wanting one particular thing, and my spirit team are showing me that this needs to be looked at or reviewed.  And I like that.  Nothing is ever the same, so I like it, I like it a lot.

Ann
So, Tony Stockwell and Mavis Pitilla.  Are they on the cards to come soon and do you have plans to invite Lynn Probert back again?

Susan
Well I think Lynne is extremely busy, but I love that woman, so if she wished to come to Ireland, I’d definitely be delighted to host her.

Ann
I know she is absolutely amazing; we love Lynn.

Susan
Absolutely.  Tony and Mavis were due to come this year to me but again the virus has prevented that and again I will have new dates for Mavis and Jean for next year but Tony is, well we’ve moved the course from Kinsale to zoom online so that’s being advertised as we speak.

Ann
When is that?

Susan
That is September 11^th to 13^th so that’s Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and it is 2 pm to 8 pm Irish time.  I have also put on the time zones for other people so it means it can be accessed internationally which is great because Tony is just a brilliant teacher. I love him because he always has new stuff you know. He is very inspiring in his teaching.

Ann
Yes, he is very much so. Susan, what are you offering yourself, personally?

Susan
Well, I would offer psychic readings, mediumship readings. I actually mix them both so it would be a psychic and mediumship within the one session, depending on the needs of the client. I know also, because I am doing my official teacher training, I’m also running online teaching courses, beginners to intermediate and advanced.

Ann
Wonderful.

Susan
So, I’m in the middle of them so I will announce when the next run is going to start. Again, on my Facebook page and website.

Ann
Wonderful, well Susan I wish you all the very best now that you’re back, you’re standing in your power the way forward is clear

Susan
I don’t know if it’s clear, but the way forward is there.

Ann
The way forward is there and take it gently, we will have to take a gently don’t we, how we go forward in the world.

Susan
Yes, yes we do.

Ann
So, I wish you all the very best

Susan
Ah, thank you Ann, it was really nice to chat with you as well.

Ann
Thank you so much for coming on the show.

Susan
You’re welcome.

Ann
Susan Hughes is based in Dublin in the Republic of Ireland and is also, like the rest of us currently, working online, so do contact her if you wish to study with her or have a private reading.  And when the world kicks off again and we are all able to travel, really do consider joining Susan and one of her amazing guest tutors over in Kinsale in Ireland – not only do you get to see the beauty of Ireland and experience the wonderful warmth of the people there, but you also get to experience the incredible tuition of Susan and those world renowned mediums she invites to teach alongside her.  

All the links and resources mentioned in this episode can be found in the show notes– plus a full transcription, and those are over on my website www.anntheato.com so head there and you can pick everything up.

If you are finding the world a little bit too much at the moment, why not try a meditation – I have three for sale on my website at just £3 each – 15 or 30 minutes of perfect peace and bliss.  Forest Bathing; Soul Sanctuary; or Sitting In The Power – allow my voice to take you deep into your subconscious mind.

Alternatively, please do consider booking a Time Travel Reading with me. These are unique readings, nobody else is offering them, they are very unique to me and the work that I am doing; where I talk you down into a deep state of hypnosis and we travel together to the spirit realm, where you can meet your loved ones again, talk to them and hold them, in a three-dimensional encounter. These readings take 90 minutes and you can find details on my website for these very special reunions with those you love.

That’s all for this week.  Thank you very much for being an amazing listener, I really appreciate you tuning in.

Have a fantastic couple of weeks everyone and until next time… my name is Ann Théato and thank you for listening to PSYCHIC MATTERS!