The Natural Psychic: Ellen Dugan’s Personal Guide to the Psychic Realm

Best known for her writings on witchcraft, here Dugan (Natural Witchery) takes a “non-denominational approach to psychic development,” framing it as a skill that requires practical application for success. Her style alternates between bland introductory seminar and humorous coffeeshop chat with an old-timer from the psychic circuit. The beginner’s portion of the book describes the types of psychic experiences—premonition, precognition, and postcognition—and the ways different psychics naturally receive information via abilities such as claircognizance, clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, or clairtangency. Dugan covers mediumship, which she believes is an innate ability only some people have, for the budding professional, teaching how to do a reading for individuals or groups, handle otherworldly presences, and use tarot cards. Dugan returns to self-knowledge and self-care with a short training section that recommends engaging with the world and journaling, and discusses methods for psychic self-defense and auric maintenance. Readers who like the feel of Dugan’s spellbooks may also enjoy her take on being receptive to the universe, but those looking for a practical program will find this too vague to be useful. [em](June) [/em]