Signs you might be a sibyl.

Sorry, guys. This is for the ladies only.

Photo by William Randles on Unsplash

There are people walking among us who were born with certain spiritual gifts. I won’t speculate on why, as I’m not interested in knowing why. I think when you obsess over “why”, this can be counterproductive because you start coming up with all these rules that lead you towards unnecessarily gatekeep-y avenues. (For example, culture. The culture surrounding today’s topic is long dead: Graeco-Roman paganism. And yet, there are women all over the world who were born with this specific gift and find relatability in the old tales… So… Did the Ancients “invent” this spiritual path and made it “culturally theirs”, or were they simply documenting and giving a name to a natural phenomenon that can happen as far away from the Mediterranean as China or Patagonia? See, we can’t know). I’m simply telling you these people exist. Maybe you’re one of them, maybe you aren’t. And if you aren’t, don’t worry, there are hundreds of other spiritual paths out there which accomplish similar results.

I won’t explain what a sibyl is, here’s a helpful link for that. I’m using the same word for ease of understanding, and also because I’m not the most creative writer out there, lol.

Also worth noting: I’m talking about a natural ability in its raw state, NOT a cultural practice that caters to the natural ability. Do not mistake these two things. Cultural appropriation exists and is a very rampant problem in religion and spirituality these days. I’m not in favour of it. There is a very clear difference between “having a gift” vs “being a member of X community where this gift happens to be common”. If you aren’t a member, the gift does not grant you automatic membership, since the very least you can do is go and talk and get to know the goddamn community. And if you aren’t a member of any specific community, that doesn’t automatically mean you’re out of options. My suggestion is: go learn with the elders of whichever *legit, centuries-old* tradition existing in your vicinity, support and promote their fights for equal rights, etc. And if you can’t “join” their community, you can’t and that’s that. Don’t argue. Don’t be arrogant. There are plenty of communities worldwide where simply living with them, learning and passing on their traditions is all it takes to be welcomed in. Not everyone cares about blood links, but some people do, they have their historical reasons, and it’s always going to be a thing. Respect, first of all; Open-mindedness, second of all.

I’ve had this article on the back of my mind for a long time. I wasn’t sure if Medium would be the best place to publish it, since it’s a bit too niche for this platform and sort of contrasts with ~all else~ but as you can see, I eventually went for it. The biggest perk of Medium is that it’s a network of bloggers, so it’s easy to reach a lot of people — and this is what I expect with this article, reach a lot of people in hopes of being useful to the few who need it. However… anything that is freely available can get distorted and taken out of context. It can happen, and in case it does, you’re free to email me for clarifications. I’ll take that risk.

A second reason why I’m publishing it here is I know specific people who follow me here because they love-hate me (or, in other words, pretend to have contempt for me when in fact they’re admirers), so I hope some of them find the validation they’re looking for and stop thinking so lowly of themselves or putting me on a pedestal. Spiritual callings are as varied as grains of sand on a beach, and I’ll never understand why some people want my specific path, mine and only mine when they could have just gone for something more authentically theirs. But hey, I’m not envious, so it’s hard for me to understand where the envious come from.

Last but not least, as the subtitle says, sibyls are women. Period. I have absolutely no idea if they’re necessarily cis (maybe the trans count. I’d say they probably do, because this is nothing inherently biological, it just has to do with feminine energies. I mean… if it was genetic, for starters, it would have already been diluted into non-existence since Ancient Greece. Especially after being outlawed. Come on). But subcategories aside, I’m talking about the wider category: women. Only women, as far as I know. Again I’ve no idea why. I’m just describing it.

Not all women will relate, only a minority of them. Are you a man? The article isn’t for you. Also, you’re necessarily born with it. No exceptions. Did you acquire it later in life? It could be another spiritual gift entirely. There are hundreds. I’m just discussing this one.

Below is a list of the common signs (there are more, but if you have the subtle ones you’ll also have the ones on my list, so it doesn’t matter). If you score more than 4, there is a likelihood. 4 or less is probably a coincidence unless they’re extremely frequent. And if you disregarded the warning to first check for medical causes, you could even bingo my list and still just be a coincidental case (not to mention the medical neglect. For heaven’s sake don’t be irresponsible, just follow my goddamn instruction). I won’t explain any of the signs beyond the strictly necessary metaphors for ease of understanding. Don’t insist. That’s on purpose, to prevent people from reaching. If you don’t relate, you don’t relate, too bad for your wishful thinking but please come to terms with that. I’ll repeat: the world is full of spiritual paths, and if you’re interested in this topic at all, chances are you already have one (the gods wouldn’t give you a gift without also giving you an interest in pursuing it); But you won’t find it if you keep trying to fit round pegs into square holes, am I right? Stop coveting what isn’t for you and probably wouldn’t even make you happy.

A final note for the envious and/or wishful thinkers: honestly, guys, this gift ain’t all roses. It can get super annoying and inconvenient and does not go away. Careful what you wish for.

Photo by Inga Gezalian on Unsplash

1. You place a lot of value on your intuition, to the point that you’ll trust it even if the entire world is gaslighting you against it — and it always turns out to be right. (Unless it’s not intuition. It could be a fear or a wish you mistook for intuition. I have an entire series about that, go browse). Sibyls make that mistake all the time, just like every human. We have turbo intuition, but we also have fears and wishes.
2. Your dreams are always vivid. Regardless of how well or how long or how comfortably you slept. Regardless of your diet. Regardless of how often you take note of them. Whether you want them or not. They simply are vivid and memorable every single time. Some dreams can have messages, but others will just be a meaningless fun trip, but they’re all vivid. Either you dream or you don’t dream, but when you do, they’re never blurry or vague.
3. You get “sea sick” very easily, even in a car or other non-water means of transport. Check for medical reasons first, as it could be labyrinthitis and that’s easily treatable. Some sibyls have both — the medical AND the spiritual. Still get it checked. Don’t you want better quality of life? Don’t you prefer having the spiritual with none of the medical problem? It’s a big improvement, and gets easier to discern too.
4. You sometimes have visions and/or hear messages. Please rule out schizophrenia first — another treatable condition. Unlike #3 where the spiritual and medical counterpart are nearly indistinguishable, here we have a big difference. Schizophrenia has recurring symptoms, the hallucinations bring you either nonsense or harmful stuff. A sibyl on the other hand doesn’t receive “noise”, each and every message is clear and helpful — whether visual or through other senses. And they’re sporadic, there is no detectable pattern for how often they come. Without training, it’s definitely just once every few months or years.
5. The wind talks to you. It’s a specific kind of wind, not just any wind, but it can happen anywhere on the planet. If you know what I mean, you know the one. The message always feels like a telepathy, not a voice.
6. You sometimes feel which part of the brain you’re using, and if it’s more than one you can “toggle” between them at will. This will sound crazy for most people, but if you relate, you’ll be amazed someone relates (or even, that it’s not normal and not everyone does it).
7. Likewise, you feel where your eyes are focusing. It’s not a bad feeling, just noticeable. It’s as if you were manually switching between closeup, mid and far focus, like playing with a zoom lens on a camera. Yes, it can happen regardless of how good is your vision. If you’re short-sighted, for instance, you’ll feel the attempt at focusing on a distance but only seeing blur. (And once again, you’ll be surprised this “focus pull” of your natural eyes isn’t what everybody does).
8. You detect spirits where nobody else is “caring” about their presence. That’s how I found the Picts, a few years ago, while everybody else in the ritual was focused on talking to the 1700s native Irish only or a specific tree spirit, etc (who were also present, don’t get me wrong). It’s kind of like everybody has tunnel vision for the spirits, whereas yours is panoramic and you notice the crowd in the background while somebody else is being “interviewed”. Maybe you see them, maybe you just feel their presence — but you know they’re near.
9. You’re able to receive a detailed mental picture when someone mentions a scene from their life vaguely. For example, when a friend is telling you a story where their 5-year-old cousin was wearing yellow and playing on the playground, you correctly “assume” that actually it was only his t-shirt that was yellow and it had a specific logo, and the boy was specifically balancing on a swing. And you weren’t there to see it, the memory isn’t yours! But you receive it nonetheless. You know this happens because photos you’re shown later confirm it, or you ask about a detail the person didn’t mention and it’s correct.
10. Similar to 9, you notice emotions someone didn’t express, and you notice it so well that you get mistaken and assume they have expressed it when in fact they haven’t. A sad person wearing a happy face (in a wedding, for example), or a person beaming with happiness for unrelated reasons wearing a sad face (in a funeral, for example). I don’t like the term “empath” or “sensitive” for this because really, it has nothing to do with empathy, and if you go down that path, you’ll assume sibyls can’t have personality disorders or difficulty with empathy when in fact it’s perfectly possible. We’re perceptive and “receive” more than the average person. That’s it.
11. You like (and often give yourself) forehead massages. They’re soothing and capable of relaxing your whole body.
12. You know whether or not the air reached your lungs when you breathe in. Regularly and casually, not just when you’re meditating and focusing on the breath. This can cause a bad habit of taking deeper breaths than you need more often than you need them. Sibyl, stop it! That’s bad for you! (I’m only half joking. But seriously, don’t overthink breathing. You’re just more perceptive. Let it be imperfect, it’s normal).
13. You’re very sensitive to sunlight. Please rule out autism, although it’s not an illness or a problem at all, but it’s a good idea to find out if you’re also autistic because that can aid in discernment. Also please rule out photophobia since it’s NOT what I’m talking about (or other medical problems I haven’t mentioned). A sibyl’s sensitivity to the sun has no physical effects (although, always wear your sunscreen. Don’t be foolish). You just feel it like a weighted blanket on you and that’s why you have that habit of running to the shade “for a break” every few minutes. Bonus points if this gets stronger at random. (Fun fact: it’s not random. Check the moon phase. You’re welcome).
14. You know something is physically approaching even if there’s no sound or light that stands out too much. Someone (or several someones!) have already reprimanded you for crossing the street without looking both sides because they thought you were imprudent, but really, each and every incoming car was “obvious” to you and it seemed redundant to look. You also learned with time to look anyway because people expect you to do that. (High five if you relate! We mask socially. It’s allright).
15. You know what god or spirit to reach out to. Maybe you’ve done that already, or you’re planning it, or you’re in denial about it (been there! No shame). But you know. And may I suggest: don’t go around telling people. The far-right has already appropriated too much. We don’t want that problem.

This last one is probably the most important of all. Not just the warning, but the sign itself. After all, we’re talking about a spiritual calling. When it’s coincidental, there won’t be a strong intuition about who specifically to reach out to. And this can be any of the suitable gods, not just the ones documented in Europe. In fact, let me remind you once again, most of the surviving oracles akin to Delphi today are in African tribes. There are oracular traditions all over the world. You could be a Shintoist for all I care. I’ve said it and will say it again: I’m talking about a spiritual gift, not a culture.

Notice also how “having premonitions” is not listed above. Regular people have premonitions. It’s not a superpower (much to the dismay of a certain fellow who compared me to Superman in the most immature way possible, in case he’s reading. This is a private feud, but it feels good to write about it). Oracular paths aren’t about having premonitions. There’s overlap but it’s largely coincidental. Instead, they’re about perceiving accurately, accounting for deviation, and translating wisely for those who need the message. Simple, but not easy AT ALL.

I relate. What now?

5 years of refuge at least.

Don’t worry, this isn’t about becoming a total hermit. You can take it metaphorically: DO NOT run and join the first spiritual community you see. Take it easy, dear. How do you expect to find support in other people when you haven’t even learned what your gift can develop into? There are many oracular paths. They’re all different from each other. You need time to figure things out. Time alone. Go meet others in secular contexts; keep this spiritual endeavour private for now.

That’s my advice. You can choose to follow or ignore it — either way, I don’t care. I’m here to provide information for the people who need it. I’m not guiding anyone this early. In fact, timing was another thing that went into the “should I post this at all” equation. You’re seeing this article because I decided to take a big risk, since I have come to realise a lot of potential oracles out there might be feeling alone and confused.

This isn’t meant as an internet quiz to “find your identity label” like the ones you see on Buzzfeed. I’m serious. There’s more to life than saying you’re this or you’re that. If this path really is for you, I guarantee you it will feel like coming back home to your true nature and you won’t need people’s attention. After all, it’s about service. There is no real glamour in it — Roman propaganda aside. (Yes I still dislike them Romans. The Ancient. I’m sure today’s Italian people are lovely, lol).

I hope this was enlightening, in every possible sense of the word. Take care, it’s a wild world. ;)