Just so you are aware being an Empath is not the same as having empathy.  We are all born with empathy and have the ability to empathize with another; Empaths have not only the ability to empathize with another, but also to understand another person's entire emotional process which can bring clarity and wisdom to those who are drawn to them for help or healing in some way or another.

There are many as explained in a previous blog that believe the gift of being an Empath is a double edged sword, on one hand we could see it as such a gift to be able to help so many, but there are many without the tools and knowledge that also see it as a curse or even a mental illness.  

Below you will find some of the traits of an Empath, each empath is individual but all empaths feel, so if you are an empath reading this blog it is more than likely that you will have a few aha moments when reading these or relate on some level within your own journey.

The number one trait of an Empath in my book is their ability to sense emotions or feel the emotions of others.  Whether they are close within a family circle or perfect strangers.  It doesn't matter if the empath is in the same room with the person or on the other side of the world they still have the ability to tune into said person's energy much like one half of a twin.

It’s very important for an Empath to fully understand each of the human emotions since it’s sometimes necessary to distinguish between the emotions of themselves or another. Knowing where the emotion stems from helps us to control our feelings in a larger capacity, not over-react to them, and then set them free from our minds as quickly as possible.

Some of  the many emotions each of us can portray at one time or another are - Affection, Anger, Angst, Anguish, Annoyance, Anxiety, Apathy, Arousal, Awe, Boredom, Confidence, Contempt, Contentment, Courage, Curiosity, Depression, Desire, Despair, Disappointment, Disgust, Distrust, Dread, Ecstasy, Embarrassment, Envy, Euphoria, Excitement, Fear, Frustration, Gratitude, Grief, Guilt, Happiness, Hatred, Hope, Horror, Hostility, Hurt, Hysteria, Indifference, Interest, Jealousy, Joy, Loathing, Loneliness, Love, Lust, Outrage, Panic, Passion, Pity, Pleasure, Pride, Rage, Regret, Relief, Remorse, Sadness, Satisfaction, Self-confidence, Shame Shock, Shyness Sorrow, Suffering, Surprise, Terror, Trust, Wonder, Worry, Zeal, and Zest.

For an empath the awareness of their own emotions and others, as well as the release of that which is not there's is extremely pertinent to leading a happy, balanced and healthy lifestyle.

1. Just knowing: Empaths just know stuff, without being told and seemingly out of nowhere. It’s a depth of knowing that goes way beyond a gut feeling, even though it could easily be described that way. The more finely attuned they are the stronger this gift becomes.

2. You can tell when you are being told a lie almost immediately: If a family member or a close friend  is telling you lies you just know it (although a lot of empaths try not to focus too much on this because knowing a loved one is lying can be a painful thing to learn). Or maybe you are in the situation of someone saying one thing but thinking/feeling something completely different, you just know.

3.  Being in public places can be overwhelming: Places like supermarkets, stadiums, concerts, malls, fairgrounds, the movies, any where there are loads of people around, can fill the empath with an overwhelming sense of emotions coming at them from all directions and without room to breathe to even focus on trying to work out one emotion from another.

4. Watching violence, cruelty or tragic events on the TV is almost unbearable: The more attuned and knowledgeable of their gift an empath becomes the worse it is under these circumstances and may make it so they eventually have to stop watching the news, news updates and or reading newspapers, current events, violent films altogether.

5. Constant fatigue or lacking in energy: Empaths often get extremely drained of energy, either from energy vampires or just taking on too much from others within a day/week etc, which even sleep will not help or cure.  Many get diagnosed with a form of chronic fatigue syndrome.

6. Taking on physical symptoms of another: An empath will almost always develop the ailments off another person (colds, infections, headaches, muscle strain, body aches and pains to name just a few) especially those they're closest to, it's sort of like going out in sympathy for another.

7. Creative expression: From singing (all types of genres), dancing, acting, creating all types of artwork from scrapbooking to painting or writing an empath will have a very strong creative streak and a sometimes wildly vivid imagination.

8. Always looking out for others: Anyone whose suffering, in need of a lift, in emotional pain or being bullied in any form draws an empath’s attention and compassion almost immediately, they simply can't help themselves when they see or feel someone in need.

9. The ever present counsellor to the masses: An empath can become somewhat of a dumping ground for everyone else’s problems friends, family and even strangers dramas and issues which, if they're not careful can end up as their own.  Self care is VERY important in this trait.

10. A cluttered environment:  This is something every empath struggles with at some point or another, whether it be in their own home/workplace or others, it makes an empath feel completely weighed down and blocks the flow of energy, leaving the empath feeling heavy and lacking motivation.

11. Addictive personality: Shopping, alcohol, food, drugs, sex, are to name but a few addictions that empaths turn to, to block out the emotions of others, or to what i call band aiding the real issues, burying them deep inside with a big old bandaid over the top to try and forget about them. It is a form of self protection in order to hide from someone or something.

12. Drawn to healing in all it's forms, holistic therapies and all things metaphysical/spiritual: Although many empaths have the natural healing ability within them already and would love nothing more than to heal others they can end up turning away from being healers, after they've studied and qualified or been certified in some way, because when they start using their new found healing or channeling abilities they take on far too much from the one/one's they are trying to heal or channel healing too. Especially if they are unaware of their empathy. Anything of a supernatural nature is of great interest to empaths and they don't get shocked or surprised very easily.  

13.  Digestive disorders and lower back problems: The solar plexus chakra is based in the centre of the abdomen and it’s known as the powerhouse of all our emotions. This is where empaths feel the incoming emotion of another, whether that be human or spirit, which can weaken the area if not looked after, protected and can eventually lead to anything from stomach ulcers to IBS and the list goes on and on. Lower back problems (amongst other things) are a big one for an empath, especially the empath that is unaware of the strong need for balance.  This back pain is due to being ungrounded which empaths often are.

14. Love of anything related to nature or animals: Being outdoors in the fresh air and within nature is a must for empaths and providing themselves balance.  Due to the energy of others empaths tend to lock themselves away to protect themselves, nature is an important part of creating balance for the empath and pets are an essential part of their life.  Pets show such unconditional love and for an empath that is so important to have, animals are very giving and that's a nice balance again for the empath that likes to continually give.

15. The need for solitude: An empath will get aggravated if they don't get their quiet time. This is even obvious in empathic children. Empaths need that space to recoup from others energies, to bring balance to themselves and to just be in their OWN energy for a change.

16. Finds routine, rules or control claustrophobic and will fight against it: Anything that takes away an empath's sense of  freedom is extremely debilitating and can even have a poisoning effect to the moods of the imprisoned empath.

17. Finds it hard to continue or do things that don't amuse them or fulfill enjoyment:  It almost feels like they are living a lie by continuing something they don't enjoy. To force an empath to do something they dislike through guilt or calling them lazy will only serve in making them unhappy. It doesn't feel right to an empath to do something that doesn't contain some passion or enjoyment for them.

18. Is constantly searching for the truth: This becomes more prevalent when an empath discovers his/her gifts and has a strong identification with their empathic self. Anything untruthful feels just plain wrong to them.

19. Always looking for the answers and the knowledge to back it: To have unanswered questions can be extremely  frustrating for an empath and they will endeavour to find an explanation as quickly as possible. If they have a knowing  or even a small amount of knowledge about something they will look for confirmation. The downside to this is an information overload and the possibility of endless hours of research if to do nothing else but obtain peace of mind that they have found the information.

20. Likes the thought of travel, adventure and the freedom of large spaces: Empaths are definitely free spirits.

21. Gets easily distracted or bored quickly if not stimulated:  School, work and home life has to be kept interesting for an empath (a good place to help empathic children get creative to spur their imagination and keep things alive and stimulating for them) or they just switch off from it and end up steering off into space or doodling to keep themselves occupied.

22. Lover of daydreaming: An empath can stare into space for hours over the smallest thought or picture they have created in their minds, in a world of their own and blissfully happy.

23. Can sense the energy of the food they eat: Many empaths don't like to eat meat red or white and some even fish products because they can feel the vibrations or the energy of the animal (especially if the animal suffered in their lives or even in death), even if they like or love the taste. To feel the energy of the animal suffering, can make the finely attuned empath ill after eating.

24. Has an intolerance to narcissism of any kind: Although kind, caring and compassionate and often more than tolerant of others, empaths do not like to be around overly egotistical people for very long, especially those who put themselves first and refuse to consider anyone else's feelings or points of view other than their own.  The more attuned empath will distance themselves further and further from a narcissist as they begin to realise they cannot help those who won't help themselves.

Note to the empath - How can you tell when you are in the presence of a  Narcissistic person who is an energy vampire: 

1. All that you say and do is never good enough
2. Everything you say is spun around and turned against you
3. That gut feeling or natural instinct you have is sending up red flags or alarm bells non-stop
4. Nothing you do will ever please these people
5. You're constantly made to feel beneath them or made to feel in-superior around them
6. You never feel heard, listened too or even validated
7. You speak your truth in love, they show sympathy and then moments later attack you for it
8. Every time you gently criticize their actions, your words are used against you to make you feel bad
9. Nothing you say or do to please them will make them like you or love you anymore or as equally as you love them.
10. They will use past situations and your insecurities against you whenever they feel like it and sometimes for no reason at all
11. You may feel trapped into an argument that has no resolution and that you didn't cause nor want to be involved in from the start
12. It's always your fault or the blame is always on you no matter what
13. You will be criticized and made to feel bad for sharing how well you might be doing in your life.  That is seen as a slap in the face towards them and how they are doing.
14. When you finally do stand up for yourself they are sorry, then five minutes later or the next day attack again.
15. They constantly wear a mask and put on their best face to others, all the while you know exactly what's coming next, what's brewing inside and how that may affect you.

All of the above points (plus many more) you could possibly suffer from while being around these types of people, it generally will never change. They will sense your caring, giving heart coming a mile away,  and will undoubtedly abuse you and  use you much like a neverending drug. These types of people are known to say things like; “I can't do without my (your name) fix”, or "I can't do this without you" which is more often than not a tell sign that if you leave them or choose not to help them, that they will do everything in their power to; keep you hooked within their reach, making you feel small, unwanted, not very good for much else other than helping them and then ashamed for leaving them. 
This is where you need to set loving boundaries and if that is not an option or does not work,
 detach with love and RUN!


25.  The ability to literally feel what day of the week it is: An empath will get that "Thank goodness it's Friday Feeling’ whether they work Fridays or not. An empath picks up on how the collective are feeling in the moment. A long weekend to an empath feels like bliss around the world, like the world is quite literally smiling, calm, happy and relaxed. Sunday evenings, Mondays and Tuesdays however tell a different story, with a heaviness and dread behind them.

26. Excellent listeners, people often vent to empaths: An empath generally struggles to talk about themselves much, unless it’s to someone they really love and trust. They love to put their energy into  learning about others and holding compassion and care around other's journeys in the most sincere and authentic way. 

27.  Can often appear moody, shy or disconnected to others: Depending on how an empath is feeling inside will depend on what mask they wear or what they will show of themselves to the world. They can be prone to mood swings that can often spiral out of control, much like four seasons in one day and if they've taken on too much negative energy they can appear very quiet, withdrawn, unsociable and even miserable within themselves. An empath detests having to pretend to be happy when inside they are sad, this only adds to their energy load.  That ever loved catch phrase used especially in retail of the customers are always right and service with a smile can make life really hard for the empath when all they want to do is challenge the customer that is wrong and not smile when they don't feel it. 

28. Will not choose to buy second hand anything or antiques: Anything that’s been pre-owned carries the energy of the previous owner, so you won't find many empaths garage saleing especially if they are finely attuned. An empath will even prefer to have a brand new car or house if it's financially possible, with no residual energy of previous tenants or occupants. Unless they have the tools of clearing the house, things that they live in, use or wear.

29. Prone to carrying excess weight without necessarily overeating: The excess weight gain is more often than not a  form of protection to stop the negative incoming energies having as much impact.  If an empath is in a toxic environment or around toxic people, more often than not the area around their solar plexus chakra will expand.  the moment the energy changes in the environment to a light one and happiness is in abundance, the weight seems to disappear.

30. Greatly affected by the Psychic Vampire:  Whatever the type of person, the pay attention to me, poor me, sitting on the pity pot, the talker, the friend greedy for your time or the biggy the drama queen. Empath's tend to struggle in this area because they are so used to helping and giving, It's important for the empath to create strong, firm but loving boundaries around their friends, family and even strangers.

31. Rough sports or violent activities can deeply affect an empath: For many female Empaths, the idea of watching violent sports such as boxing, rugby, football etc puts them off just as much as; newspapers, tv and horror/thriller movies. Just like some men, they don’t see the need for violence in any form as a whole, and often feel compelled to speak up against it.

32. Feel compelled to tell it like you see it: Empaths aren’t a fan of negativity, feeling hurtful or nasty emotions from people, so more often than not struggle to lie at any cost, since lying in itself takes a very negative thought process to begin with. That being said, Empaths can sometimes get into trouble for speaking the truth all the time. How many of you have gotten into trouble for speaking your mind and then standing behind your truth? (unfortunately not everyone can handle the truth, in whatever form it comes to them). Empaths tell the truth because it feels good to be honest, rather than to just pretend it doesn't exist.

If you can relate or have said yes to most of or all of the above then you are most definitely an empath.

©Rebecca Fox R.M.

Empaths have the ability to scan I suppose you would say another persons psyche for feelings and thoughts whether it be past, present or future life occurrences.
Many empaths are unaware of how this actually works, and have long accepted that they were sensitive to others and just managed their lives around this gift.

Being an empath is when you are affected by other people’s energies, sometimes in a good way and other times not so much, as well as having an innate ability to intuitively feel and perceive others.  Your life is unconsciously influenced by others desires, thoughts, physical pain and moods.  Being an empath is so much more than just being highly sensitive and it’s not just limited to peoples emotions.  Empaths can recognize physical sensitivities and desires of the soul, much like a spiritual urge, as well as just knowing the motivations and intentions of other people (empaths are especially good at knowing when people are lying to them).   


As an empath you are always open, so to speak, to process other people’s feelings and energy, which means that you really feel, and in many cases take on the emotions and sometimes the physical symptoms of others.  Many empaths experience a lot of symptoms of others that they are not even aware of, and take them on as their own such as  chronic fatigue,  extreme mood swings, or unexplained aches and pains that seem to come from nowhere on a daily basis.  Many a time without my awakened empath knowledge did I walk into a shop and come out with the feeling of a cold or flu only to get home and it was gone.  I always put it down to...oh it must have been hay fever or sinus issues. Or the many times i'd pick up people's headaches and think they were my own and again magically they would just disappear. Most likely these are all things that can be contributed to outside influences and not so much yourself at all.  Essentially as an empath that has no tools to help with protection, you are walking around in this world with all of the accumulated karma, emotions, possible physical pain and energy from others.

Empaths are more inclined to pick up another’s feelings and then project it back without realizing its origin in the first place.  This is a major factor with my son.  He is an empath just like me and the gift within him is an extremely strong one! He does okay in school, but socially in the playground well that's another story.  The empath within him takes whatever feeling that is projected at him and in most cases it's been anger or bullying from other children and project's it back at them x10!!! Unfortunately for him children feed off reactions and so project more of it towards him till he explodes in anger and gets in trouble because of it.  It's important especially with an empathic child to help them understand what's happening and provide them the tools they need to mingle with other children their age and not take on another's feelings, if we don't our empathic children struggle and school can be so tough for them and their little sensitive selves.

Talking things out and through is a major factor in helping to release emotions in the learning empath.  Empaths can develop an even stronger understanding of their own energy and that of another's by talking it through and being able to see that in fact they have taken on the emotion rather than it belonging to them, so that they can find peace in most situations. The flip side is that empaths may bottle up emotions and build amazing barriers sky-high around themselves so as to not let others know of their innermost thoughts and/or feelings. This holding in or withholding of emotional expression can be a direct result of a traumatic experience in an empaths life it could be as small as simply being told as a child, “Children are meant to be seen and not heard!” or it could be as large as living within an abusive situation.

Without a doubt, this level of emotional withholding can really affect one’s health, for the longer one’s thoughts and/or emotions aren't released or given the room to breathe, the more power that builds behind them. The thoughts and/or emotions can eventually becoming explosive, if not crippling as I have seen in many an empathic child, not to mention the adult empaths in this world. The need to express oneself safely and truthfully is a form of healing and a choice open to every single one of us. To not do so can result in becoming run down and could lead to a  breakdown of the person and result in mental/emotional instability or the creation of a physical ailment, illness or disease.  Because of this many empaths are treated for mental illnesses, children are put on medication.  

It is all about knowledge and understanding and the more each of us has, the more we can structure our lives to incorporate what is needed as an empath and our ability to live in a world filled with all types of emotions and energy.

©Rebecca Fox R.M.
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Have you ever wondered why you find random coins around your house? Why light bulbs suddenly blow for no reason and then keep blowing even though you can't find a fault? Or what about those times when the perfect song comes on the radio for how you are feeling in that moment?

Our guides, angels, higher power or even our loved one's in Spirit sure know how to get our attention sometimes, but it's up to us to believe in them and then take notice of them happening and why.

A lot of us ask for help, or ask questions of our guides, loved one's etc but then don't watch for the ever important message that is trying to be sent to us in a way in which we will recognize either the person who sent it or the message that, that item, occurrence, song etc brings.
When our guides, angels, loved one's in Spirit help us through day to day life, they do so in ways that we may not always understand or may not be immediately recognizable to us.  They can and often deliver the answers to our prayers or questions in the form of hints, messages, gentle nudges even warnings sometimes.

They may come in the form of cloud shapes that you have noticed.  When driving with my children that's one of our favourite things to do, is look for animal totems (guides that are sent to help guide us for a short time, depending on the situation).  We've seen dragons, angels, turtles, fish, birds all sorts and then we race home to find out what our messages are depending on what we have seen in the clouds that day.

They may also come in the angelic form of feathers. The angels, your guides etc will send you messages in a way that is tailor made for you to understand their significance.
I had my mother come and stay with us last year and she had relayed a story to me about how her mother always left her big white feathers just when she needed a little love from above.  It was a beautiful connection and a wonderful story of love from her mother.  The day she told me this story we had all gone for a walk and what seemed like out of the blue and in such a strange location we came upon a big white feather, just laying there in the middle of the grass.  Wouldn't have been ten meters further along and another white feather this time from a slightly different bird so it seemed.  This was the first time I'd noticed feathers as a sign from above and now I take a lot more notice and well it seems i've missed quite a number of feathers on my journey, given the amount that turn up now, some literally falling from the sky in front of me.

We often get signs through music, take notice of recurring songs, the message could be in the form of the chorus, the title of the song or even specific lyrics that just blow you away with the accuracy of the message given at the time that was so needed.

Coins are another common one, never underestimate that coin that you randomly find on the ground in front of you, that happens to just appear in your pocket or in plain sight somewhere a coin normally wouldn't be.  The next time you find one of those random coins, know that it was more than likely purposely placed in your path.  Finding coins are often a sign from above letting us know we are supported, financially, spiritually, physically and emotionally.  Also take note of the date on the coin, quite often the message is given to us in that form and it just might have significant relevance to you personally, such as a birthday, or the year a loved one passed over.

Rainbows, now this is a sign from above I LOVE!! When you ask for a sign and you see a rainbow, it signals that whatever is on your mind or the situation is being taken care of by them.  Rainbows not only bring signs in that way but also as a gift of encouragement and guidance from the other side.

Recurring numbers is another one I love and find so easy to notice the messages, when you begin to realise just how often the recur .  Number signs can be found all over the place, on your computer, alarm clock, microwave clock, on number plates, signs, letter boxes and so many more ways than i have mentioned here.  One of the most common recurring numbers is 11.11 or 111 or any of the triple numbers such as 222, 333 ,444, 555 etc.  Each number sequence has a meaning and the best resource to look up the messages for your specific and sometimes very individual guidance through those numbers is Doreen Virtue's book Angel Numbers 101.  

Signs also come in the form of messages from our loved one's in Spirit, such as the smell of warm apple pie, smoke from a tobacco pipe or the scent of your great grandmother's favourite perfume.  All beautiful reminders that our loved one's are never far from us.

I had a client late last year for a Reiki Healing, during this healing her little girl came through to speak to her and to share a little love from her heart to her super special mom from the other side.  My client was astounded to find out that the reason for her hallway light sensors coming on ( Those strips of lights down your hallway that give you a little bit of light to get to where you are going at night) randomly throughout the night was in fact her little girl trying to get her attention.  She told me she would run up and down the hallway at night setting of the lights so her mom would know she was always close, unfortunately she was also having fun with her baby brother at night too and waking him up on many occasions (because why wouldn't you want to play with your brother in the middle of the night.  There is no concept of time on the other side, so seemed like a great thing to do when it would get the attention of your mommy)

Signs can be repetitive, out of the ordinary, timed to coincide with questions you may have asked or prayed about, they can even be meaningful to you personally and come as a sign that only you would understand.  Such amazing life transformations can occur when we learn to trust, see and use the messages we are sent throughout our lives in all types of situations, whether they are big or small.

©Rebecca Fox R.M.