Truth and tarot: Q&A with four Birmingham area psychics

For many of us, the world of psychics is a mystery. If you’re like me, you’ve looked up your astrology information on the internet a few times (I’m a Libra), bought some tarot cards from the Golden Temple downtown and that’s about it. 

But what about the people who have dedicated their lives to the psychic craft? Is being a psychic anything like the way Hollywood portrays? I wanted to find out the answers to these questions myself, so I sat down and interviewed four local Birmingham psychics.

Meet four psychics of Birmingham

Mitchell Hagood is the owner of Books, Beans, and Candles Metaphysical Shoppe in downtown Birmingham. He has owned the store for 14 years and has been a psychic specializing in tarot for 20. 

Kelli Davis is also a psychic working at Books, Beans, and Candles. After initially pursuing a career as a lawyer, Davis felt called to be a psychic and has worked at the shop ever since. Davis specializes in tarot readings, palmistry and astrology.

Rev. Terri Ann Heiman is a clairvoyant and a spiritual teacher. Nearly twenty years after finding the answer to her problems in spiritual counsel, Heiman continues to help and educate others through spiritual healing at Birmingham Yoga.

Sheri Bagwell is an energy healer and meditation coach. Bagwell says that she was born with the gift to be able to process energy, but was not opened back up to her abilities until fourteen years ago. She has pursued a career in healing for the past six years, teaching classes in Birmingham, Atlanta and online.

Learn more about these psychics

1. What all does the work that you do entail?

Hagood: Tarot Cards are a form of divination with past, present and future insight into your life.

Davis: For tarot readings, you use a deck of 78 cards. I like to think of tarot as a type of tool to connect with a higher consciousness. It’s a great tool for advice.

For palmistry, I look at that as the science of reading the hand. It involves personality traits, and there is a past-predictive element as well. Mainly, this gives an insight into character.

Astrology is a snapshot of the heavens at the moment you were born. This can also help to reveal your personality, traits, etc.

Heiman: I am what you call clairvoyant, I see. That’s my main way of interpreting information. I see signs, images and pictures. I also use the feeling, called clairessence, and clairaudience, which is hearing.

I do readings that are intuitive readings, I work with the tarot cards and I teach the tarot. I also do a reading that gives the ability to access lives that you’ve had. I use crystals, I do sound healing.

Bagwell: I tap people into their own intuition and help them create a better life. I carry in energy that enables you to find balance in your body and your mind, and that puts you into a meditative state to help you find calm and hear your inner voice.

I offer beyond therapy private sessions that take your traditional therapy and self-help books into your life with more ease for greater results. I also offer group classes, which teach you how to master your energy body and recognize emotions and how they affect you, help you to recognize your own patterns and to be able to change them.

2. What’s the biggest misconception about the work that you do?

Hagood: The biggest misconception is that we’re mediums. When someone says psychic, they’re thinking about Miss Cleo, [the famous pay-per-call television psychic]. Meanwhile, there are so many different kinds of psychics. I’ve only ever met one person who can [look at you] and tell you what you’re thinking.

Davis: People confuse what we do for mediums. People also see these tools as a cure-all, or they think that their future is set in stone.

Heiman: Most people have the idea that a psychic is someone who says ‘I’m going to tell you everything about your life.’ People also think that all of this is just made up, but there’s actually a lot of science to back it.

Bagwell: That I have the answers for you. A lot of people call me a healer, and it’s a misconception that I would be healing you because that’s not what I do. I open you up to be able to heal yourself.

3. What is your favorite part about the work you do?

Hagood: The best thing is when you’re doing a reading and you see the person click, when you see them have that moment of enlightenment and validation. There’s also so many different forms [of readings], and quite often you get answers to things you didn’t even know that you needed to know.

Davis: My favorite part about the work that I do is helping others. I want my clients to walk away feeling empowered.

Heiman: I love to teach people how to do it and empower them with these tools, let them know that they can access this.

Bagwell: I love the connection with people, and I love to hear them tell me how much more they love life now. I just love knowing that I have a positive impact on the world.

4. What’s your least favorite part?

Hagood: My least favorite part is having to give someone harsh or tragic information during a reading.

Davis: People who are close-minded about it are my least favorite thing.

Heiman: The thing I don’t like is when people think this work is ‘woo’ and don’t take it seriously, and when they keep their own practice quiet instead of bringing it forward into everyday life.

Bagwell: [Oftentimes, people think that what I do has something to do with religion.] This has nothing to do with religion, this is going to only enhance whatever beliefs you already have going on. What I do has to do with your connection with the earth and your higher self, and I don’t really care what you call that, if you call it God or the universe or Jesus or Buddha, but I stay away from all religious speak.

5. Can anyone learn to do what you do?

Hagood: I think anyone can learn to do these things, though some people are more inclined than others. Like, I can do ballet, but you’re probably not going to want to pay to see me do it.

Davis: Yes! I think anyone can learn to do it.

Heiman: We all have the ability, you just have to learn to train it. Most people believe that you have to be gifted or special, but you can train it. Some people are a little more gifted or maybe take it on a little easier or develop it quicker, you know, everyone is different, but we all can learn how to do it.

Bagwell: Yes, I do. I believe that everybody has the capacity to tune in to their higher self.

6. What advice would you give to someone wanting to learn what you do?

Hagood: To get started with Tarot, study and read the cards. Learn and know your cards, know what they feel like.

Davis: The first step is to just get started. If there’s something you want to do, you should pick up a book and start learning.

Heiman: It takes priority. Are you going to spend a few minutes a day working on it or not? The more you work with it, the more you’re going to find that the accuracy is there.

Bagwell: Breathe, learn how to be still. The first step is to learn how to calm your body.

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