FaceTime & Skype Sessions Open Again

Hi all!

I'm pleased to announce that after almost two years, I've re-opened my FaceTime and Skype sessions to those who can't get to my Chantilly, VA office.  I am still not conducting telephone sessions but wanted to accommodate clients who have a difficult time getting to my office or simply are just too far away... and FaceTime/Skype feels more personal to me than phone sessions, anyway.

For now, the FT/Skype sessions will be conducted on Wednesday evenings at 7 - 8pm EST.  I may extend the timeframe of these sessions at some point in the future.

I will be taking individual sessions (with no more than two extra participants - no groups) at the same rate as my in-person sessions.  The sessions with extra participants will work in the same way where you will purchase the individual session and then add the extra participant fee(s) if applicable.  For the best possible experience, I recommend having a good internet connection and to be in a quiet space in your home or office where you won't be distracted by other people or noises, etc.

Because my online booking system won't allow me to split my services/locations, you'll just need to call me at (703) 474-2227 to book this kind of session and I'll put you in the system manually.  You will still need to supply your credit card or I can send you a PayPal invoice, but like my in-person sessions, you'll need to confirm your appointment with your payment in advance since my sessions are so limited.  Thank you for understanding!

A few points on FT/Skype sessions...

One of the reasons I stopped doing these kinds of readings was because of people off-camera quietly participating in the reading with nods and whispers while not paying to participate like you would if you brought someone to my office.  If you're in the same room and off to the side and interacting with my client - silent or not - you're experiencing the reading live and are an extra participant.  I really don't want this to be an issue this time, which is why I'm laying it all on the table now.  If I notice this happening, I will need to stop the session.  I do hope you understand.

And I know this sounds silly, but it's happened more than a few times and also has to be addressed. Please don't wear your pajamas or nightgown for a session, lol.  I know you're comfy in your home, but it's a bit uncomfortable if you're in hair rollers and a robe, lol.  No, you don't have to dress up and I seriously don't care if you wear sweats to be comfy (I may as well), but I've had some awkward situations, so I'll just leave it there... I know you get it.  :D

THAT SAID... (don't judge... ) the only space in my home where I have peace and quiet is my silversmithing studio and having a corner desk, well, you're gonna see my workbenches in the background.  Even all cleaned up, tools and workbenches are messy, and if it seems to be an issue, I'll try to find a room divider or backdrop.

SO... there you go!  If you can't come to Chantilly or it's a big pain in the butt, now you have another option!  :D  Please spread the news with friends you think may be interested!  :)  My website is www.BarbMallon.com and then just click the appointments tab.

Hope you all have a wonderful week!  Stay warm!
Barb xo

Summer Update and Bye Bye Waitlist!

Hello, everyone!

Happy summer!  I hope you're enjoying your summer so far!  It's been a rainy few days which I think helped keep people from setting off too many fireworks at bay.  Our dog, Sammy is deathly afraid of them, so he's been hiding in the basement on the couch.   On the fourth, I even had to sedate him slightly as he was so anxious he was constantly trembling.  Anyhoo, glad that's over!  :)

So, I finally finished up my 15-month wait list and am ready to start taking clients online again!  I found a wonderful booking website called Schedulicity and have added a button to my "appointments" page on my website.

I am still taking way fewer clients than I used to but did pick up every other Tuesday so there may be a wait, but not too bad of one as of now.

I still am not taking phone sessions and probably won't, but am thinking of doing FaceTime/Skype sessions sometime in the future.  If I do, I'll be sure to announce it on my FaceBook page and here as well as my website.

So, feel free to book yourself online!  If you have any trouble, just contact me!

As far as jewelry news, I've added a bunch of new pieces to my Etsy store and am gearing up for fall shows!  I'll be announcing where I'll be very soon so I hope you will come by and see me!  :)

Here's a little peek!

Hope you all have had a great SHORT week at work!  Tomorrow is Friday, yay!

OH, and I still have TWO seats left for me Animal Communication Class on Sunday from noon to 3pm if anyone is interested.  It's a fun class, for sure and helps you have a better relationship with your fur babies!  Click here if you'd like to register.

Enjoy your weekend!

Barb xx

YAY, Spring! Updates and News...

Well, hello!

I'm sorry it's been a little longer than planned to update my blog.  I always seem to remember to update it when I have to run to do something else!  I think that's always the way, though.

After the weirdest "winter" ever, we're back again in spring.  This is my favorite time of year.  Everything starts to turn from this dull green to bright green.  No, it's not fun for allergy sufferers, but the blooming trees are just beautiful.  I have another month before I get to hang my hummingbird feeders again, filling them with sugar water and cleaning them almost every other day.  It's arduous sometimes, but I love seeing those little buzzing beings flying around my front and back yard.  I've had the same three return each year, so I'm looking forward to seeing my rubies again!

The pups are happy to be able to go out on walks again.  The lack of walks was mostly due to Mike's knee needing to heal from his meniscus surgery (I would have walked both, but I cannot handle Sam... he's way too strong for me!).  He's slowly back at the gym and doing pretty well. The Madam was cleared for her spay with an xray showing no masses.  The vet said that he thought she was even a little younger than we thought... possibly 4.5 - 5 instead of 6?   Her spay was scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 23.  Brady and I visited her on Friday, and she truly looked traumatized.  I felt so badly, but with a uterine cancer risk of 85 - 90%, it had to be done.  We carefully brought her home on Saturday and she's healed perfectly.  We had to make some adjustments to her hutch, going from a two-story to a one story, which she was NOT happy about.  Speaking of bunnitudes, I read on many forums that sometimes a bun's attitude dramatically changes... or they don't speak to you for quite a while afterward.  I was so worried about this, but she's just as kissy as she was.  She has been different in some weird ways.  She's almost impossible to get out of her hutch for her free roam and even harder to put back in.  She doesn't like being picked up at all and just hops a foot in the air if you try to do so.  It's not that she's in pain, I think it's just that she was grabbed and moved a lot at the vet and she's wary of it now.  She doesn't get as excited about her hide a treat toy much, anymore, and she doesn't jump up in my lap like she used to.  It's only been a month, but hopefully, she'll be her old self again soon!

Sorry there was so much about the bun, but everyone always wants to know about her the most!

Ok, some updates!

MEDIUM STUFF:

I am still working through my wait list, so thank you for your patience!

Regarding my waitlist.  What I basically do is pull about 6 people for 6 spots and write them with dates, info, and prices and then ask for them to get back to me to book ASAP.  The pattern seems to be that about 1/2 get back to me within a few days and are booked, easy peasy.  The other 1/2 I just don't hear back from, even after a few reminder emails where I mark a "1, 2, 3" near their name.  I have a mail track system that shows me if someone opens my email, so I know it's been received. After the third email, I will cross the person off the list.  All this said, if you are on the list and want a session, it may come up a little sooner than I thought.  :)

If I send you an Appointment Availabilities email and you are no longer interested, would you please simply reply that you are, in fact, no longer interested?  Thank you so much... this way I can get to other clients faster.

CLASSES ARE BACK!

I am once again holding my Psychic Development and Animal Communication classes in my Chantilly, VA office.  I was holding out for a while trying to find another hotel or large conference room who wouldn't charge me an arm and a leg and just haven't been able to find one yet.  So, I just decided to hold smaller classes in the office suite I'm in now.

These are going to be a little different in that they will be very small, intimate classes with 4 - 6 students only.  The PD class will be 4 people and will take place in the office where I conduct sessions.  The AC class will be held in the conference room in my office suite.

Upcoming classes:
Psychic Development - Sunday, April 30 from 11 - 4 (SOLD OUT)
Animal Communication - Sunday, May 21 from 12 - 3:30 (5 spots left)
Psychic Development - Sunday, June 4 from 11 - 4 (4 spots left)

Interested?  Here's the link to my Events page! 

JEWELRY STUFF:

I'm currently looking for worthwhile fairs and shows to attend and will keep you updated when shows come up.

Also, if you don't already know, I've had a big sale going on for about a week in my Etsy shop and still have some really pretty pieces left!  Just a few more days and it'll be over!

YOU get 25% OFF any item in my shop (excluding custom orders) if you use COUPON CODE: YAYSPRING at checkout!  25% off!!  :)

Go take a peek!  As you can see, my pieces are already pretty reasonable.  Imagine 25% off!  :)

I think that's it for now!  Ms. Bun needs to go back into her hutch, so we'll see how long it takes me.  :/

Hope you all have a wonderful week and let me know if you have any questions about anything!

Barb xo

No, You're Not Crazy...

Does this sound familiar?

"I think I'm losing my mind!  There are crazy things going on in my home and I don't know what to make of it.  My child's toys go off by themselves, the TV goes on and off by itself and I just feel like I'm being watched.  It is really scaring me.  Is there something negative in my house?  Or, is it one of my passed family members trying to warn me about something?"

I get emails and questions about this constantly, and unfortunately, some of the first thoughts people have when whacky things happen in their home are, "it's eeeeevil," or "something bad is going to happen to me, and they're trying to warn me.”

Truly, more times than not, it's just simply spirit people saying "hello.”  They won't try to scare us; however, if we aren't used to typical spirit activity, it can be rather spooky. If you feel you have any energy in your home (spirit people OR something more negative), the first thing to do is to tell it to please stop.  I always prefer to treat them with respect and to ask them to stop (or leave) in a loving, but firm tone.  If it's a spirit person, they will not want to scare us and will normally comply.

When one has "activity" in their home, it's typically something called "After Death Communications" or ADC's.  ADC's are very common, but again, if we aren't used to the activity, it can be a bit unnerving, to say the least!

What constitutes typical spirit activity?  Well, before I answer that, anything mentioned below should be checked into; i.e., rule out the physical reasons these things could be happening before deeming it spirit activity.  Many times, folks will have plumbing problems which makes thumping sounds in the walls, or electrical issues that need to be looked into, broken thermostats, and so on.  :) 

Back to typical spirit activity:  Because spirit energy is electromagnetic energy, they can easily manipulate electrical things such as the volume on your TV or the channels, computers, light bulbs or lights, clocks, radios, etc. You may notice a light bulb dimming or flickering when talking about a deceased loved one, or your cell phone may suddenly ring with no one on the other end and no caller ID (it would sound different than a typical hang up). Spirit can give you a waft of a scent you would associate with them such as a specific perfume, flower, cigar or cigarette smoke, etc. If a spirit person cooked eggs every morning routinely, you may smell eggs out of the blue. You may catch streams of light or mists in photos you've taken at family gatherings or even around your home.  You may hear his or her voice in your head suddenly as if you're reading a book to yourself, or you may hear your name being called (within your head or even outside of it - everyone hears them differently). You may FEEL someone behind you or even catch a form in your peripheral vision, yet turn around and no one is there. You may feel them go "through" you. You may even have small things move or fall off of counters, or, (and this is the most common), you may dream vivid dreams about your spirit people. Dreams which are clear and vivid and "feel" as if they really happened are very many times connections. 

Our spirit people will give us many little subtle signs to let us know they're around us; we just have to be aware enough to catch it, and most importantly, not chalk it off to our imagination (or worry that it's something eeeeevil!).

On that note, this is not to say that negative and/or stagnant energy doesn't exist; it does, but it's much more uncommon.  If you do feel you have an negative energy in your home that you've asked to leave but it hasn't, remember YOU are always in control. Deal with it non-emotionally and firmly (they can feed off fear). Put your foot down, and respectfully insist they leave - it's your home.  My suggestion would be to do a spiritual home cleansing/blessing which I would be happy to send you if you add your email info below (or, you can write me at office@barbmallon.com).

Hope this helps!

Have a great evening!
Barb

July Update - New PUPPY!

IT. IS. HOT.  I should just stop there, but I can't… I have more news!  :D


There are now TWO dogs in the Mallon household!  Yikes!  Last Sunday, one of my wonderful clients, Jackie, wrote me asking if we were interested in taking her new dog.  She's one of my Facebook friends, so I had been commenting on her cute three month old pup who looked SO much like our Maggie!  She works full time and had to crate Sam most of the day and wasn't able to spend enough time with him to train, etc.  She knew I was home often and he could be out all day.  It was a hard decision for her to make and we are honored that she asked us!  :)

The ironic thing is that Maggie seemed kind of depressed during the day and just laid around and slept.  She really needed a friend, but we wanted it to be the "right" friend at the right time.  We didn't want to force it, so we figured that when it was time, it'd happen.  Sammy was the name of our first lab who passed of epilepsy at five years old, so when Jackie said his name was Sam, that was it.  LOL.  She also said she'd send along his crate and take care of his next round of shots, so.... how could we refuse?  He's a handful, but we love him and he keeps Mags very, very, VERY busy all day!  I'll keep you up to date on his progress, training, etc.  :)

The horrid storm that blew through this area Friday evening was probably one of the scariest storms I've been through.  It lasted about 15 - 20 minutes but was INTENSE.  We were lucky to have only lost phone and some cell service and not our power, unlike our poor friends from Alexandria and up into Maryland who did... and for DAYS.  My prayers to all who were so horribly affected by the storm and to the families who lost loved ones.  And, thanks to my understanding clients who had to reschedule since I didn't have a phone to use for phone sessions!  We just got our service back last evening, so I'll be contacting you soon to reschedule.

Regarding my in-person sessions, I will be in the same office I am in now for another year.  I didn't want it to work out that way, but I missed the "automatic renewal" date and they had me locked in for another year, so I couldn't do anything about it.  So there's that.  LOL.

For those of you asking, my next mediumship demo is July 28 and I'll be donating a percentage of the proceeds to Jackie's favorite animal rescue or shelter, so sign up!  :)  Sounds like it'll be a Pit Bull rescue again because Sammy is part Pit as Maggie is.  We love our sweet pit bulls!  They are awesome!

Hope you had a safe and happy Forth of July!  Stay cool!


Barb

Switch On, Switch Off

NOTE from Oct. 09:  I'm pulling a few blogs from my old Wordpress blog.  Yep, you've probably read this before.  If  not, enjoy!

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One of the questions I’m frequently asked is, “do you see dead people all the time?”  OR, ”when you’re in the produce section at the grocery store, do you see dead people hanging around their live people?”  I don’t know why, but when people think about a grocery store, they always think the produce section first, so I get that scenario in their question quite a bit. 

The answer is no.  But can you imagine?  That would drive me crazy (not that I’m not a little crazy, anyway).

You see, first of all, I don’t SEE dead people, which I prefer to call “spirit people.”  They’re still people but just in spirit form instead.  I have seen full manifestations of spirit, but it’s a rare occurence for me (as cool as it is).  Normally, when I’m in my linking mode, I feel a spirit energy first and where they are in the room, and then I’ll start to hear sentences, music, names, information about them, as well as see symbols pertaining to them.  I don’t just see a spirit person hanging around their physical person here.  That said, I do very often see them in my mind’s eye during readings, but not as a 3-D type image that you see on shows like “Ghost Whisperer” or “Medium”.

No, I don’t bump into spirit people at the grocery store or when dining out, UNLESS I CHOOSE to tune in to a person.  The thing is, I need my time off, too.  I’m sure if an accountant has spent all day crunching numbers, the last thing he/she wants to do is sit down in the grocery store and do someone’s taxes.  I choose to close down, and most mediums will tell you that this is how it works for them too.  I’ve heard John Holland say something to the extent, “it would take an awfully strong spirit to get my attention when I’m not working.”  Exactly, and to be ON all of the time would be incredibly draining.

Besides that, one of the rules I try to stick to is not to read someone unless they ask me to.  There are many mediums out there who do, and that’s fine for them, but I’ve found that it’s not the best thing.  I remember standing in line one time at the local McDonald’s and while waiting, accidentally slipping into that attuning  mode.  I clearly saw an elderly spirit woman standing behind her husband (who was oblivious, of course, to her being there) just peacefully reading the paper and eating his hamburger.  Can you imagine if I walked up to him and said, “hey, please don’t be scared, but your wife is standing behind you and says…”    For some, it would be incredibly unnerving and shocking.  This happens with me here and there, and it’s not always that the spirit person has the needto communicate anything – I’m just sensitive to their energy and am a witness to what’s happening on its own – I happened to pick up on this man’s passed wife who was just visiting her husband for a bit.

When I AM about to link to spirit and take clients, I shift my gears energy-wise.  I sit and meditate, breathe, expand my consciousness and attune to spirit.  When finished, I “close myself down”, if you will, and return to my regularly scheduled broadcast of Barb’s Wacky Life, which is what I’m off to do right now.

Enjoy your evening, too!
Barb

A Few Small but Important Tidbits if You’re Considering Contacting a Medium

NOTE:  I'm pulling a few blogs from my old Wordpress blog.  Yep, you've probably read this before.  If  not, enjoy!

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Recently, I’ve had more people than usual not understand how a medium works, how the process works or why they don’t hear what they wish to hear in a session.  I’ve even had clients tell me how they want me to read for them with no “ifs,” “ands,” or “buts” accepted.   I truly can’t dictate a reading, nor can I conform how I work to fit someone else’s expectations.  It’s really always best to understand how a psychic or medium works, know what to expect in advance, and to get good references, rather than be too “on guard.” 

Here are a few pointers:

1. Allow the psychic or medium to work in the way THEY need to work.  Understandably, there are many charlatans out there, and you really DO need to be wary of the “generals” in a reading (and if you feel the psychic isn’t connecting with you, and giving vague info, DO let them know and possibly even stop the session.)  It’s always best to go into a session relaxed and open to info and messages, not to hear what you want to hear or connect to that exact person in spirit.   Let the psychic or medium do their job in the way they need to do it, leave expectations at the door and your session will more than likely flow much better.  As I told one lady this month, you don’t go into the doctors’ office and tell the doctor how to examine you, or a lawyer how to work on your case.  The psychic needs to conduct a reading the way they need to.
    
2. Try to go to a psychic or medium who has been referred to you by someone who has had a good experience.  If you don’t know of anyone who’s been to a psychic, try to find a site on the internet with fair reviews on the psychic.  While testimonials are nice on a psychics website, you really don’t know for sure they are legitimate, so it’s a good idea not to choose a psychic because of his or her own website testimonials.
    
3. Don’t call or write a psychic or medium for a freebie or “test” mini reading.  Most valid mediums I know need to prepare with prayer, meditation and ritual before opening up to spirit, spirit guides or the angelic realm.  It’s not fair to expect a medium to connect on the spot… we have lives too!
    
4. Try not to rate a psychic or medium with “hits” or “misses.”  There will ALWAYS be information not understood during a session that a psychic will “leave you” with.  These are not necessarily “misses,” and are usually understood at a later time.  There will always be validations that occur AFTER the session is over when the unknowns in a reading are discovered!
    
5. During a session, if a psychic or medium tells you things about yourself, it’s a good thing!  I’ve had people tell me, “yes, I know this about myself… so?”  Well, I DON’T! This means the psychic is connecting with your energy and if that’s the case, should be able to link with your people in spirit as well, if that’s what you’re looking for.  We know YOU know things about yourself, but a psychic doesn’t know anything about you, so this is a good indication that a link has been established between you and the psychic.
    
6. For medium sessions where a psychic links to your people in spirit, it’s important to allow the process to unfold in the way spirit would like it to.  Allow them to bring through ANY pieces of info, even if it seems “trivial” or “insignificant” to you.  Example:  Me:  (laughing…) “wow, he tells me he always late, correct?”  Client: (shrugging shoulders…) “yes, he was always late, so????”   Again, YOU may know this about your spirit person, but the medium doesn’t, and this is very important.  The spirit person will give the medium anything – seemingly insignificant things, or very significant things – to prove to you it’s them!   They are all little puzzle pieces of information about themselves that you’ll put together to understand and identify a spirit person.
    
7. On that same note, don’t feel a medium hasn’t connected with your spirit person just because that ONE thing you asked them to bring through in your reading didn’t come through.  I can tell someone 50 things about their spirit person with “yes” to all of them, but because that one item didn’t come through, the client will disqualify the fact that it was the spirit person they thought it was.  This is so unfair to spirit and the process as they work VERY hard to get as much to you about themselves as possible, and then any messages THEY feel they’d like to give you.  If you don’t hear that one particular thing, it’s ok.  DO remember to collect all they DID give to you, know they did the best they could and thank them.
    
8. Spirit people will also tell you what YOU did today, last week, yesterday, etc.  Why?  To show they DO visit often and are aware of your life!  Again, these can be just silly little things such as you ordering pizza or dropping a bowl on the ground.  The medium doesn’t know you did this, but your spirit people do!
    
9. Understand that a medium is given information quickly, symbolically and that their guides use what the medium has stored in their brain for references/evidence to give to you.  Don’t try to make it fit or hang on the exact thing you’re waiting for.  Example:  “I’m seeing the time when I closed the door on my cats tail. Your dad is bringing my experience up because you must have had the same kind of experience.  Does this make sense?”   Normally, it either very closely makes sense for the spirit person or you, and they’ll bring this up to give you another puzzle piece.  If you had a similar experience and understand what they are TRYING to relay, it’s best to acknowledge it.
    
10. It’s ok to say “no, that doesn’t make sense for him/her.”  You won’t hurt the mediums feelings!  The medium can and should ask for clarification if something doesn’t make sense to you.  Normally, it means that two energies may be blending, and that another spirit person is trying to come through.  Remember too, that some info isn’t validated until later.

Overall?  Being an open skeptic is best.  Don’t reach for everything and make it fit, and don’t be so insistent that only certain people or info should come through.  Understand that it is a process, and for me, it’s much like playing charades when I can barely see, feel or hear them.  The connection may be very strong or somewhat light depending on many variables, and we do the best we can to snag that evidential info from them and pass it along to you.  So, just try to let the medium do their work and the spirit people or guides do their work as well.  This will allow the session to unfold in the way it was meant to!

Barb

Changing Blog Spots and Other Stuff...

Happy Wednesday!

Just a quick heads-up.  I changed my blog site to Blogger because there seems to be so many more options as opposed to Wordpress.  Plus, Wordpress is confusing, especially for my simple brain.  So, I'm here!  I'm going to post a few of my old blogs, so don't get confused, yourself.  :)

Baby Snickers

Baby Baby Snickers

As for today, it stormed for a while (love it!) and now the sun is out.  Had a few phone sessions and am catching up on email.  My pup is curled up on the chair sleeping waiting for the kids to get home from school.  I've seen both "Baby Baby Snickers" the grandchild of Snickers and son of Baby Snickers today (if you don't know the story of my squirrels, especially Snickers click here! ) and his teeny gray sibling, both looking for peanuts and becoming more comfy in my back yard.  These were the babies who looked like mink stoles on their mama's necks while she was transporting them to a new tree.  Too cute.  :)  Anyway...

Woke up to see that I'd sold my one of my newer pieces in my Etsy Store, my Poe Heart necklace, yay!  There's nothing more fun than someone purchasing something you've created.  Waking up to an "Etsy Transaction" email saying I sold something makes me just too happy and inspires me to think of new ideas.  Think I'll create more "gothic" Halloween inspired pieces this week... seems to be in the air.

Speaking of Halloween, I've added a gadget with the event over there to the right.-->  We are already more than 1/2 way sold out, so if you're thinking of attending, better register SOON!  This will be a really fun event.  If you don't know about it or want to register, click here.

Ok, time to get other work done!

Catch ya later!
Barb

UPDATE 3:45pm: A little ghetto news… my sons' school was put on lockdown today because a man walked into his school with a gun.  A GUN???  Holy shite.  Police were there already (not sure why??) and arrested him out in front of the school.  More as soon as I find out.  Very scary stuff…


UPDATE 6:45pm:  Apparently it was a robbery which occurred near the school.  Police were already at the school because the suspect had a gun.  He was arrested either in or right in front of the school.  Crazy people.