Challenge Entry: Empaths & Empathic Abilities
I have always considered myself intuitive. I am uncanny with my first impression accuracy. Only once did I not listen to my intuition and intentionally let down my guard to my detriment.
Empath Quiz
- Have I been labeled as “overly sensitive,” shy, or introverted?
- Do I frequently get overwhelmed or anxious?
- Do arguments or yelling make me ill?
- Do I often feel like I don’t fit in?
- Am I drained by crowds and need alone time to revive myself?
- Am I overstimulated by noise, odors, or non-stop talkers?
- Do I have chemical sensitivities or can’t tolerate scratchy clothes?
- Do I prefer taking my own car places so I can leave early if I need to?
- Do I overeat to cope with stress?
- Am I afraid of becoming suffocated by intimate relationships?
- Do I startle easily?
- Do I react strongly to caffeine or medications?
- Do I have a low pain threshold?
- Do I tend to socially isolate?
- Do I absorb other people’s stress, emotions, or symptoms?
- Am I overwhelmed by multitasking and prefer doing one thing at a time?
- Do I replenish myself in nature?
- Do I need a long time to recuperate after being with difficult people or energy vampires?
- Do I feel better in small cities or the country than large cities?
- Do I prefer one-to-one interactions or small groups rather than large gatherings?
(Source - (Are You an Empath? Take the Self-Assessment Test | Psychology Today))
I score 18/20.
Things like going to Walmart on a busy day, stress me out, drain my energy, and can wipe me out. Conversely, I can run 10+ miles with a friend or by myself which reduces my anxiety and doesn’t drain my mental energy.
I opted to use a bind rune on my pendant as my initial entry but wanted to look further into the topic and see if I could learn more about my Empathic Abilities.
But where do I start?
In a spiritual/magickal/witchy sense, how does one use their empathic abilities? I know reading auras is one, and it’s very new to me. I’d like to practice and strengthen it more, but I’m stumped as to what other abilities there are.
I bounced this question off a wonderful sounding board 
and received wonderful advice that sparked ideas and search terms. Down the 
I went!
What Types of Empaths Are There?
It turns out I am a Geomantic, Plant, Animal, and Intuitive Empath. 
Suddenly my heart is racing, my head hurts, I feel pressure, some responsibility to use my abilities, and guilt for not utilizing these abilities before…
Ok. Let’s step back. The infographic gave me topics to research further to see whether or not that label applied to me. I’ve listed the top traits that I have with each type.
(These descriptions come from 11 Types of Empaths - What Type of Empath Are You? - Spirit Nourishment)
Intuitive/Claircognizant Empath 
- You can pick up the energies of people
- You can read between the lines and are a pro at connecting dots
- You are a popular therapist in your friends and family circle
- You understand a situation more clearly. Intuitive empaths can read people.
- You are considered a great listener
Fauna/Animal Empath 
- Animals draw you in more than people do. You’d rather be in the company of an animal than with people.
- Animals come to you out of nowhere. (For me this happens with domestic and wild animals)
- You prefer to work with animals over humans. (I have a degree in Wildlife Biology, have worked as a veterinary technician for over 10 years, work at an exotic animal facility with wolves, lions, lynx, tigers…)
- You catch yourself randomly talking to animals.
- You treat animals and humans alike and are highly emotional about their well-being. Animal empaths can easily make distinctions between similar-looking
Flora/Plant Empath 
- Nature is your best friend
Plants Flourish under your Care (you should see my plant shelf)- They use plants to promote physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being. (I have been taking herbalism classes for over a year)
- They feel happy watching the greenery
- If a plant is dying around them, their energy too gets sapped, and they will feel the fluctuations of seasons with the cycles of birth, bloom, and death (source)
Geomantic/Earth Empath
Geomantic empaths are highly sensitive to the Earth’s vibrations and can feel changes in the weather and the seasons, often falling into depression during the darker winter months.- Lush green landscapes fill your heart with contentment
- You escape in the nature
- You surround yourself with plants
- Sensually and energetically, you can feel the power of a thunderstorm, the loveliness of the moon, the warmth of the sun on your shoulders. (source)
So… now what?
How do I process all this new information to figure out what to do with it? What responsibility do I have now that I know about my empathic abilities? How do I shield myself? What self-care steps can I take? How do I call my energy back?
Sections
Get Outside | Shielding | Grounding | Herbs / Aromatherapy | Crystals | Protection Jar | Shielding Spray | Meditation/Visulaizaion | Chakra | Yoga | General SelfCare
(Istockphoto)
Get Outside 
- Forest Bathing
- Walk barefooted on the earth
- Lay down on the grass
- Garden
- Hug a tree
(istockphoto)
Shielding
White light protection
Generally used by many psychics, healers, and lightworkers, to help clear and ward off bad negative energies is the magical powers of white light….
You are a light being, and this divine light can help surround you with protection.
However, it is important to know how to cleanse any stagnant negative energies that you’re holding onto.
A great way to both raise your frequency and to protect yourself from foreign unwanted energies. Is by surrounding yourself with a light shield made from white light.
This helps protect you and your aura and is useful whenever you go anywhere there is a large crowd or anywhere you can sense a low vibe, especially if you feel there are energy vampires.
Surrounding yourself with a white light shield
Before surrounding yourself with a light shield it is worth remembering that you are the light and you can call upon it to protect you and your energy body whenever you ask.
You can do this by1. Sitting in a comfortable position.
2. Relaxing your body and taking deep breaths in.
3. Visualizing a white light that surrounds you, entering and filling your entire body with every inhalation. Feeling it fill anything darkness you may feel inside.You can also call out a mantra such as “I am the light.” If you want to strengthen the effect or use any other protective mantras.
Source
(istockphoto)
- wash away energies while washing your hands
- shower grounding
- swim in the sea or a lake
- put your feet in waterfalls
- Take a bath
- 5-minute Grounding Guided Meditation
(istockphoto)
Herbs 
/ Aromatherapy 
While herbal remedies can offer potential health benefits, it’s essential to approach them with caution, awareness, and informed decision-making. Consulting with a qualified healthcare professional before starting any new herbal remedy is strongly recommended, especially for individuals with pre-existing health conditions or those taking medications.
Nervine - A nervine refers to any substance or remedy that has a calming or soothing effect on the nervous system. Nervines can be herbs, supplements, or medications that are used to alleviate stress, anxiety, nervousness, or tension. They can help promote relaxation, improve sleep, and support overall nervous system health. These herbs can be consumed as teas, tinctures, or in supplement form to help calm the mind and body.
Adaptogen - An adaptogen is a natural substance, typically an herb or plant extract, that is believed to help the body adapt to stress and promote overall balance and well-being. Adaptogens are thought to work by supporting the body’s ability to resist and respond to stressors, whether they are physical, chemical, or biological in nature.
- St John’s wort - antidepressant, protection from negative energy
- Rose - mood booster, love, positive energy
- lemon balm -nervine - healing, focus, confidence, calming
- chamomile - nervine - restores inner peace, calming, luck
- milk oats - nervine - soothing, restorative
- wood betony – nervine - protection, grounding, calming
- Tulsi/Holy Basil - adaptogen - purification, energy balancing
- Reishi - adaptogen - spirit boosting, connectedness
- Ashwagandha - adaptogen - stability, healthy boundaries, balance
- Lavender - nervine: purification, calming, relaxation
- Passionflower -nervine - calming, tranquility, harmony
- Skullcap – nervine - calming
- Dill - spiritual protection, mental clarity
- Hawthorn - compassion
- Parsely - protection, purification
- Rue - positivity, protection
- Tarragon - banishing, protection, calm, confidence
- Marigold - Celebrate the death of what no longer serves you
- Rosemary - purification
- Thyme - strength, removes bad luck
- Frankincense - purification, opens third eye
- Sage - protection, purification
- Cypress - grounding
- Melaleuca/Tea Tree - cleansing, protection
- Oregano - happiness/joy
- Ylang Ylang - resolution, cleansing, serenity
- Palo Santo - cleansing
(istockphoto)
Crystals 
- Rose quartz - warmth, compassion, healing
- smokey quartz - remove negative energies, grounding
- clear quartz - protection, mental clarity, healing
- amethyst - protection, healing
- black tourmaline - repels negative energy and thoughts, protection
- hematite - grounding, balancing, calm, centering
- black obsidian - grounding, protection, focus, release negative energy
- malachite - absorbs negative energies, protection, healing
- citrine - manifestation, personal will, warm, comforting, clear the mind
- lepidolite - provides inner peace, emotional balance
- fluorite - harmony, ward off negative energies, protection, clarity of thought
- black kyanite - stability, grounding
- selenite - purify, cleanse, uplift
(istockphoto)
Protection Jar
*
Spray 
- Empath Shielding Anyone?
Shielding Spray
(istockphoto)
(istockphoto)
(istockphoto)
(istockphoto)
- spend time with your pet
- pet sitting
- Get a houseplant
- plant a garden
- Follow The Moon Phases
- Take Crystals With You
- Cleanse And Protect Your Home
And everything else she said, too. 
. Thank you for your hard work and resources
you put a lot of love into your entry super impressive
