Most mediums will tell you they can’t remember much detail about the links they’ve given once they step off the platform, and I’m no different.

But I’ve never forgotten the very first link I ever gave in awareness class.

Even now, I can still see it as clearly as if it happened yesterday.

To set the scene, I had only walked through the doors of Belfast Spiritualist Church for the very first time the previous evening.

Someone suggested I might enjoy the awareness class on Monday nights, so there I was.

I can’t remember exactly what we’d been doing that evening – possibly encaustic art with wax and irons – but towards the end of the class, the teacher, Sheila Murtagh, asked if anyone felt they had a link they wanted to give.

Another student went first while I sat there in silence.

The moment Sheila had asked the question, scenes of the Irish countryside had started playing in my mind like a film. But I had no idea whether it was Spirit or simply my imagination.

When the first student had finished, I nervously raised my hand.

Sheila smiled and said,

“I’m not surprised.”

Up I went onto the rostrum in front of around thirty people.

I simply described what I was seeing.

Rural Irish countryside.

A stone-built cottage with no windows.

A young barefoot girl wearing a dress.

That was it.

There was no great story.

No explanation.

Just those few simple observations while, in my mind, I continued to watch the little girl moving around the cottage grounds, picking flowers and standing in front of where the windows had once been.

Then a voice interrupted the “movie” playing inside my head.

“I can take it.”

Another student in the class explained that I was describing her grandmother’s cottage exactly as it had been, right down to the empty window openings. The Spirit communicator, she believed, was a local gypsy girl who used to visit her grandmother regularly.

I was completely stunned.

At the end of the class, Sheila took me to one side and asked if I was free to attend the following evening too.

“There’s something called circle happening in the church tomorrow,” she said. “Just ask for Dorothy when you arrive and tell her I told you to come.”

And that was how my development really began.

From never having heard of a Spiritualist church at the beginning of the weekend…

to sitting in one of its development circles by Tuesday evening.

I hadn’t thought about this memory for years.

Writing it down has reminded me of something I think we all need to hear from time to time.

Mediumship is remarkably simple at its heart.

I think many of us – myself included – can overcomplicate it.

Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is simply describe what we’re being shown.

Trust it.

Say it.

And allow the person it’s meant for to recognise it.

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that none of us walks this path alone.

My teachers, Dorothy and Shellie, and everyone I shared a circle with on countless Tuesday evenings shaped the medium I became. But today I want to thank a few people whose kindness quietly changed the direction of my journey.

The first is the much-respected Belfast medium, Brian Lynch.

Back then, opportunities to demonstrate in Belfast were limited, and like many developing mediums, I hoped to broaden my horizons. After one of Brian’s services at Belfast Spiritualist Church, he overheard me mentioning that I had family in Scotland and suggested I contact a few people there, telling me to say he’d sent me.

That simple act of generosity led to my first visits to Edinburgh and Kilmarnock in Scotland. I’ve never forgotten it. Brian didn’t have to help, but he did.

The second is Sharon Patterson.

After hearing about my first Scottish visit, Sharon kindly introduced me to more wonderful people and churches in Catrine and Foxbar. Her encouragement opened a few more doors and helped me build friendships that have lasted to this day.

And finally, Genevieve Bailey.

When I told Genevieve I was planning to move to Scotland in 2014, she went out of her way to support me. She introduced me to people, encouraged others to give me an opportunity, and was there herself in Paisley, with other local mediums she’d rounded up, to cheer me on at my first service after having moved over. It was such a generous thing to do, and something I’ve never forgotten.

Looking back, what stays with me isn’t the places I served, but the people who believed in me before they had any reason to.

I always thank Spirit for guiding my path, but I also thank Spirit for placing such kind, generous souls on it. Without people like Brian, Sharon and Genevieve, my journey would have looked very different.

Last night, I had an experience that was very much needed… and very emotional.

As this new chapter of my spiritual work begins to unfold, I’ve found myself reconnecting with so many friends from years gone by.

People I’ve worked alongside, people I’ve worked for, people I’ve studied under, and people I’ve held very close to my heart.

A few weeks ago, when I realised that Spirit seemed to be guiding me back towards regular demonstrating, one of the very first people I messaged was a medium whom I – and I’m sure many other mediums – affectionately refer to as “my wee maw.”

In fact, the last time I visited her church, it was to introduce my actual maw to my wee maw.

She hadn’t replied to my message, but that didn’t concern me. I knew there was every chance she simply hadn’t seen it. So instead, I decided I’d just turn up at last night’s service and surprise her.

I was welcomed with open arms. I got a huge hug… and then, almost immediately, I was asked to go into the back room, collect some extra chairs and carry them through.

It felt like I’d never been away.

It had been a long time since I’d simply sat in the congregation at a spiritualist church service. Usually, I was the one standing at the front. But this time, I could just relax, soak up the atmosphere and enjoy watching two mediums serve Spirit.

As soon as one of them stood to work, she came straight to me.

The evidence that followed was remarkable.

Spirit spoke about one of the biggest events of recent years in my life, confirmed current aches, pains and injuries, mentioned the bike I’d bought only two days earlier, and even brought my partner’s name into the message.

But more important than any of that was what came next.

Spirit acknowledged exactly why I had needed to step away from this work ten years ago. They recognised the reasons I had closed that chapter of my life, and, just as importantly, they confirmed that now was the right time to open a new one.

It was deeply emotional.

To be honest, the last couple of weeks have been emotional in general.

As I’ve started reaching out again, I’ve been reconnecting with so many people who were once a huge part of my life – my spiritual family.

When I stepped away from working with Spirit, I put walls up around myself. I needed to. It was how I protected myself. I quietly disappeared, and with that, I lost touch with many people I cared about deeply.

Being welcomed back with such warmth has reminded me that some connections never really disappear. They simply wait until the time is right.

I feel incredibly grateful to be reconnecting with these treasured friends and to be able to pick up those friendships almost as though no time has passed.

Spirit never cease to amaze me.

It’s funny that the symbolism of the dragonfly became such a huge part of my journey – especially my teaching journey – because it all happened almost by accident.

After my first visit to the SUI’s Sanctuary in Dublin, I was asked if I would come back and teach a workshop the next time I visited, making a weekend of it.

I had led a development circle before, but I’d never really considered teaching a workshop to students. It was exciting… and just a little daunting.

Back then – and still today – I often use the energy of music to support my work with Spirit.

The night before the workshop, I was sitting in my old bedroom at my mum’s house. I had the outline of the entire day planned, but there was a big gap in the middle. I needed one more exercise, and I was beginning to panic.

I started scrolling through my iPod (remember them?) looking for inspiration, and came across a track I’d never really paid much attention to before.

The moment I heard it, I knew I could use it to help the students expand their energy for working with Spirit. The rhythm was infectious, gradually building into a huge sweeping crescendo near the end. Even the title seemed fitting: Above.

What happened next though was unexpected.

As I listened, I found myself writing a story that unfolded perfectly in time with the music. It came so quickly and so effortlessly that it felt as though I was simply taking dictation rather than creating it.

The central character was a little dragonfly – a symbol I’d never felt any particular connection with before.

Then another idea came.

What if the exercise had a second part? A twist that built on everything the students had just experienced?

I became so caught up in it all that I didn’t get to bed until nearly three o’clock that morning…

The following day, the workshop was going really well, and eventually it was time for The Dragonfly.

At the end of the first part, everyone commented on how powerful it had been. You could already feel a shift in the atmosphere of the room.

Then I introduced the second part.

That was the moment it became something truly special.

By the end of the exercise, the energy in the room felt almost tangible. Students were visibly moved, and if I’m honest, so was I.

It certainly didn’t feel like something I had simply invented. I came away convinced that Spirit had played a massive part in bringing it together.

Over the years, I’ve repeated The Dragonfly in workshops across other countries, and it has always created a remarkably similar response. Considering it was almost a last-minute addition to fill a gap in a workshop, that still amazes me.

People still mention it to me today. They ask me for the name of the track again, or tell me they’ve never forgotten the experience.

Looking back now, The Dragonfly has become one of the cornerstones of my own spiritual journey. It has come to mean so much to so many people, and I’ve never really felt that it came from my imagination alone.

Even now, dragonflies have a habit of appearing just when I seem to need the reminder.

The first house I was ever going to buy had a dragonfly-shaped cupboard knob. As strange as it sounds, seeing it gave me an unexpected sense of reassurance and helped me feel safe enough to put in an offer.

And while helping my partner pack up his flat before moving house, I discovered a paper model of a dragonfly sitting on top of one of his kitchen cupboards. Finding it made me smile.

Whether those moments are coincidence or something more is for each person to decide.

For me, though, whenever I come across a dragonfly, it reminds me that I am safe, that Spirit is close, and that somehow, everything is exactly as it should be.