E139: Connecting & Communicating with Your Spirit Guides

E139: Connecting & Communicating with Your Spirit Guides with Jodi Vienneau

Learning how to trust deeply so that we can connect and communicate with our spirit guides…

[1:33] Valerie LaVigne: Welcome back to The Women's Empowerment Podcast. Today we have an extra special guest, Jody Viana. She is a 50 year old woman. Mom, writer, author and spiritualist who happens to be psychic and communicates with spirit daily and Jody when I hear this, or when I read this bio out loud I think I have so many questions.

First of all, thank you so much for being on the show. Welcome, it's really great to have your podcast and also I wanted to mention that you are also Kennedy's mom and Kennedy was a recent guest on the podcast we talked about for us, so I'm excited to have a deeper conversation on spirituality but I know that you too are very different in your gifts and in your offering. So could you tell us a little bit more about what you do?

Jodi Vienneau: Well thank you so much for having me. And yes I am Kennedy's Mom very proud of her. I've been nagging her all her life to lean into her abilities, so I'm so glad she finally is.

Episode 135: Beginner’s Guide to Auras www.valerielavignelife.com/kennedy

So I'm sorry I forgot the question. You want to know the difference in our offerings in our abilities.

VL: Yeah, let us know more about what you like to offer what you, how you tap into your gifts and your abilities.

JV: Okay, so I am a psychic. I am medium. I also have medical intuitive abilities. I receive messages from spirits who all of my senses. So I hear them I see them, I feel them I smell messages I taste things, I get sensations in my body, I get a lot of messages through color.

So often when I'm doing a reading.

I'll do a scan, like in my mind's eye, I do a scan, and spirit will show me differently. I scan like a, you know, the light on a photocopy machine, the bright white light that slides across the tray. So I do that with my energy but it goes down, the person's body. And so spirit will change the color of the light, and also correlate sensations in my own body, as to what's going on with them, Whether it be emotional, physical, whatever. So, honestly, I received messages in the whole of me from spirit.

VL: That is really cool. I mean, it feels like a very intense experience. I guess when you're doing a reading, is this something that you've been able to tap into for a really long time. I know we've chatted before about this being like a spiritual muscle. So is this something that you've been working on?

JV: I have been psychic, having predictive dreams, my whole entire life. I can remember being little and being really clear.

Strangely detailed dreams. And then, you know, back in the 70s everybody watched the news together the evening news together, and I'd be we'd be watching the news a few months later and my dream would appear on the news as like a world event type thing. So I've had those abilities my whole life, as well as the Claire audience, which is hearing spirit, but I never knew. I never named it. They were just bad dreams to me, bad dreams that followed me in the day, you know, because it's scary when you're a little kid you hear someone walking around.

VL: Yeah, absolutely. I can relate to that too. I have very vivid dreams. I mean I don't feel that they're as predictive at times. However, they do feel so real and they did kind of come across as bad dreams for me when I was a kid, and not really knowing what to do about it so for yourself how were you able to navigate these abilities as a kid?

JV: You know, honestly. As a kid, like I said they were just bad dreams to me, and then through my teenage years. I kind of shut that off, there's already so much going on when you're a teenager that the last thing you need to pile on is, oh yeah, by the way, you know, I can hear dead people and, you know, I can tell you what's gonna happen to you in the next few months, that kind of thing. So I've shut that off, though I would say through my teens, and my 20s. And then when I had my two daughters.

It started waking up again. And I, that's when I discovered that I could travel like mentally and energetically into their bodies, like if they had the hiccups, I would travel inside their bodies, and relax their diaphragm to get their head, or hiccups to go away. So I guess it started coming back online. When I became a mom, and then when my marriage and my husband was very black and white, raised in the church, you know, he was just a non believer. So then once that ended, I had the freedom to just really lean into them. So I'd say the last like nine years is when I really full throttle, lean into them. Let's see all this, show me what kind of thing I've got..

VL: Wow that sounds incredibly brave! I just want to give you a big hug! Ah, that's so amazing and empowering, which is really all about, and I know that's what you're about to do is empowering people with their spirituality and with their gifts. You do so much more than read people but you also help teach people is that correct?

JV: Correct. I love teaching people how to connect with their own team of spirit guides. I love giving them the tools to co create their best life, you know, I'm not a professional I'm not a therapist or anything like that, but through the messages from spirit that I get, you know, their spirit team knows their plan they know their blueprint they know our strengths and everything, and there are signposts right so I love being able to help help kind of turn the light and shine it on the path. That's to come if that makes sense.

VL: Yeah, I love that you're great analogies, I feel like I'm really in and I feel like I'm getting that body scan image I'm getting this light on the path like, I'm almost envisioning a dark windy road, but the light posts are are lit up as you start to walk through.

JV: Yeah, that's exactly, that's exactly what I meant, it’s the writer in me.

VL: It's helpful for a lot of people because I think a lot of what you're saying to a lot of people are, are, you know expressions or abilities or phrases and things that a lot of people don't have the connection to on or not sure not aware. I know for myself when I hear something or see something that not everyone else sees. I initially label it as weird or strange because it's different, and growing up I had a French teacher who always said different is not the same as bad in that sense.

I like to come back to that and just giving, almost like this permission that it's okay to be different and it's okay that something is changing and or whatever is happening so you know that works in the spiritual world, it works in the physical world, so to speak.

So, to people listening who are curious but they don't have this same strong spiritual muscles as you, where do we start with getting to know our guides we all have them. I know I've dabbled in this a little bit, but this is also somewhat new to me. I've heard of spirit guides. I've had. I did a Reiki training and we talked a lot about spirit guides and I kind of felt connected to them but I also feel like I don't know how to get back into that so where do we start with our curiosity?

[10:10] JV: So the very, I would say the very first thing is awareness, and permission. I mean we are sovereign beings so we have to give permission, part of the blessing and a curse of being human is freewill. And, you know, we, we have to give our guides our angels. Everyone permission to communicate with us to contact us. So that's number one is giving permission. And you know, just about everyone has seen like repeated number sequences or something like that, that's it, that's the first sign that. Okay, things are starting to happen, things are starting to amp up. So, noticing versus permission, then you need to notice, pay attention, you know, we all see probably 100 Different signs and messages throughout the course of our date, but we don't necessarily notice them.

So it's starting to pay attention to different things that catch our attention. So maybe you see, maybe you get in your car, and you turn on the radio and song playing, and you think, oh my god, I haven't heard this song since me and so and so, you know, 10 years ago we're doing whatever. And, maybe, you know, there's someone connected to that song that has passed on. So you've noticed that song, you've named what it means you think of. So that's how you begin the language, the dialect, with your gods we teach them how to communicate with us, it's not just a nor a natural. Oh yeah, they're gonna know how to talk to us. We have to teach them the meaning behind everything that we see if I see a penny or if I see a robin or if I see whatever. What does that mean to me what does that make me think of who does that make me think of how do I feel. And so then, when we say that when we name that, Then our spirit guards will go. Okay, got it, got it. You know, that's when she sees a penny. She thinks of her grandma, and her when she was five, and she she felt this, so then they make a note. Okay, pennies equal this. You know what I mean. So that's how we, It's really permission and then paying attention, and then naming it. Naming how we feel, who we think of what we think of, it's all a part of building that dialect, and then we will just start, you know, all of a sudden those 100 signs that you maybe didn't notice in a day. You can't not notice them. Do you know what I mean?

VL: Yeah, absolutely. Can I share some examples of some signs that I, we usually get, so I also see repeating numbers I usually see 1111 Or like, 444. I see those a lot. And then I also see Cardinals remind me of someone.

When I see dimes, that reminds me of multiple people really but it's more just like okay I know that this is the right path, but the quadruple like four ones in a row is huge for me and I see it.

But yeah, it's usually like an animal or a coin, or a repeating number and even if it's not 1111 Like if it is 444 I'll know that it's relevant to whatever's happening in my life, it's just not the. So, and then sometimes they look up online like what does that number sequence mean, but usually it's just like okay it's confirmation, like, I'm in the right place right now. Yes, like a signpost Yeah, exactly, yeah. And then, actually, Kennedy said something to me in my last reading where she said Deja Vu is a symbol for you that you're on the right path. And yesterday I had deja vu as a kid all the time. And I get it less frequently now, but I always wondered what that meant and I did kind of feel like it wasn't as an affirmation or confirmation that things were good. I just wanted to share some of my examples, but I totally understand that love and awareness and permission and they like it's almost like it's like you're placing an order and you're like, Alright, I need a sign, I'm looking for this, this reminds me, this person, and yeah, That's really a huge part of communication with anybody is saying, what you want 100% It's so simple.

JV: Yeah, it really is. We complicate things unnecessarily. I mean, in every area of our lives. It's true.

Okay so we're on the path we decide that we're bringing awareness we decided that we are, you know, seeing the signs and, like myself, I see 1111 I see the cardinal, I'm not really sure what to do with all of this

VL: Okay so we're on the path we decide that we're bringing awareness we decided that we are, you know, seeing the signs and, like myself, I see 1111 I see the cardinal, I'm not really sure what to do with all of this.

[15:20] JV: Now what you know that is the tricky one and the one that personally, I struggle with is trust, you know, that analogy of the lamps, turning on, you can't see any farther than your next step. And for someone like me who has serious control issues it's like Are you freaking kidding me like, no I need to know the next four or five steps don't just breadcrumb me, but it's that trusting, It's, it's a combination of trusting yourself and trusting spirit universe God source whatever it is, because we are never ever ever just walking blind never we're just not, and understanding that and reminding ourselves of that can be really hard. And so, you know, it's hard. I wish I could just say, Oh, yeah. So when you see this, then you just do this like it's just not that simple. You just have to trust that when it's time to take that next step, the stepping stone will appear, the light will turn on and you will be guided.

VL: WOW! I feel like I’m in an Indiana Jones movie LOL okay, and yeah this is definitely a tricky part for a lot of people, especially when it's a lot of the unknowns right it's different, it's new, it's uncertain. You know there aren't a lot of people who will not in my community I guess who would be able to understand or relate to this and have the conversation that we're having right now but that's a lot of trust.

JV: It really is. It is scary. Very, very scary I'm not gonna sit here blowing smoke and rainbows up your ass. Yeah, it's scary and it's frustrating and it's infuriating and it's, you know, even for me like I could sit down and give you a reading, and I can give you with excruciating detail what's going to happen, potentially what could happen, that's a whole other conversation. In the next few months of your life, but for myself. I don't get that kind of insight. And so it's even more frustrating because I really have to trust. And you know when you got trust issues like me, and control issues it's like you. Is this a joke, like, come on man.

VL: It's like this catch 22 is right.

JV: But the thing that can help us is that connection with our spirit guides so can we talk a little bit more about, like, who is our, our in our spirit guide what kind of team do we have working with us here. Do we know. So, how do I best answer this, our spirit team is made up of angels.

Here's what I personally have seen, and what I believe is that our spirit team is made up of angels, other beings, be them, Animal planetary, you know, that kind of thing.

Possibly, I haven't come into a lot of connection, have passed on loved ones being a part of someone's spirit team, especially not someone that we have known in our current life.

But it's usually beings that we're connected to on a soul level that our higher self knows, you know, they're all people who have chosen, I feel like they are our number one, support, and cheering team, you know they want to see us make it to the end of our planned blueprint, and they are there, you know they have volunteered to help us do that. So these are all people, beings, energy, who love us and support us more than we could ever experience or imagine in this earthly body. Do you know what I mean I know that sounds really grandiose, but that's really what it is, their sole purpose is to support us as we move through life, so sorry to circle back your question, how do we know who they are, you can do different meditations and try to meet them.

It's a, that's also takes a lot of trust, because we're so skeptical, and we're so pessimistic, you know, we may think that we're not. But if we meditate, we're like okay, I'm going to hold space, a good visualization is okay to sit quiet, go to a special place in your mind someplace that you love that you feel comfortable and happy. Maybe it's a beach, maybe it's a park, maybe it's a forest and envision two seats, you're going to sit in one, and you're going to invite one guy at a time to come sit in the other and maybe it's a picnic table, maybe it's a dining room table, whatever you feel comfortable with and whatever resonates with you, then you're going to get quiet, you're going to give that permission for only beings of the highest vibration and only those who work for the highest good of the collective, to come in, and then you have to trust, you know, when we do this. A lot of people, they might go no, I got nothing. No, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, and then they get frustrated and then that ego mind kicks in and it's like okay well I'm a failure I don't have a team, I'm a loser. This is stupid. Why don't even try, or a being will come in and sit down and you'll have a conversation. Maybe you can't make out their physical features, But you will feel them, you'll hear them, something like that, but then you're like, can I just make that up. Is that real, like, that can't be real. That was just my imagination. Well our imagination is one of our most powerful spiritual tools that we have. So that is one way that we can connect with our guides, you know, you have to give permission, then you have to trust what you're receiving and seeing right. Those are so important in this spiritual journey.

[22:10] VL: I like it. It's simple, but it's not easy to do. It's a simplified concept.

I really liked that and I think it kind of ties well into your handle spiritual coffee and like you're inviting these spirit guides to come have coffee with you like let's hold let's, let's connect in in a different way and I feel like this could be a really great daily practice and tapping into who these people are and each time just giving yourself that permission to let go of the ego, let's just see what happens. Let's just try it on, let's just see how it goes, or feel how it goes.

It reminded me of, also a friend of mine, she went to an angel workshop and she was saying that the facilitator was encouraging you know when you can't open a jar or when you're having trouble reaching something or you can't find something you just go.

It reminded me of, also a friend of mine, she went to like an angel workshop and she was saying that the facilitator was encouraging you know when you can't open a jar or when you're having trouble reaching something or you can't find something you just go.

Yes, and that's part of that permission is like it's okay if I don't see the person or the guide, or if I don't feel them or if I don't hear them, you know whatever comes through is, is what's coming through and not shaming yourself about it like it didn't work.

whatever the self doubt that creeps in, because I know for myself, I will get like a little bit freaked out, like, oh my god, I was just thinking that and then that person said it out loud I'm like no that's weird, like, no, and then I'll shut myself down and then I'm like, thinking well that's not how you grow.

it was just such a yeah that was a really, really great way to I like the idea of like meeting the person because they're the guide, I should say, because then it really is like, Okay, I'm taking these three steps forward. The guide now is kind of coming like we're both coming together this way and you're like hey come to me. I need to see. Right, yeah, yeah. So okay, let's say we have the awareness, and we have the provision, and we are trusting and all the sudden, wham bam someone appears. And, or whatever we feel their energy. However, it comes to us.

How then do we cultivate this connection or this relationship with this guide, and continue to build the trust and the muscle of the spiritual muscles?

[25:09] JV: For me personally, I'll use myself as an example, my guides. Well, I can see their physical features so they look different, but they also was always saying at the beginning, I received messages from spirits through all of my senses. So they, their voices sound different, their energy feels different, or I might see a different color.

So I think it's important when you make that connection that contact to pay attention to how you feel. Like how does your physical body feel, do you feel a sensation on your right side or on your left side do you feel a cool breeze on your ear.

Do you have goosebumps on your leg. Do you, do you smell something, you know, Do you taste something in your mouth, your guide will like have a signature, they'll let you know how you can recognize when they are with you. And, you know, they're, they're just honestly they're just waiting to communicate with us. And so when we reach out to them they're like Oh, thank God it's finally happening you know, and then I think it's a matter of just building that relationship the same that you would with a person, a human persons you it, you know, just step by step, whatever you're comfortable with. You have to respect your own boundaries, and then it goes back to building that dialogue that dialect. And you, you know, saying okay this is, this is how I'm going to communicate with you, you know, if you want to communicate with me. This is how you do it and I mean literally, you can say out loud those words, or you can think it, you know, we're all energy so you don't have to walk around saying, you know, Hey, spirit. Got you, you know, that kind of thing you can think it, and the message will get through so I think it's just a matter of recognizing who is with you. And, and learning their signature, and then building that dialogue.

VL: Yeah, that sounds simple enough *laughs*

JV: I mean, it really is, we overcomplicate things.

VL: I mean, it really is, yeah, definitely overcomplicate things Right exactly and the ego gets in the way and the self doubt, and all those things yeah I think yeah, I think it's a really great place to start in terms of like, deepening our spiritual journey and working through that bad practice of letting go, surrendering to whatever comes up, and really allowing yourself to follow that, that's the signature of that.

So, it leads me to the question, how many of these spirit guides do we have, or is it different per person?

JV: It's been my experience that it is different for everyone. I mean, I've done readings for clients, where I've seen like and a veritable army standing behind them, and more recently I did a reading for a client. And their main guy was the only one that would show Himself to me, and I knew I could sense that there were other guides behind, but he was, he was the gatekeeper and he wasn't letting me see anyone else. So it's really, it's my experience and like I said, everybody has different experiences everybody sees things differently. Everybody has their own opinion on things right, they're like belly buttons, but it's been my experience that there really isn't a set number.

If I had to generalize, I would say at least five, at least.

[29:29] VL: That’s pretty cool. And then it gives us some, some room to kind of explore that and see like invite a new person each time we go into that session, right, and say, for someone else. Is there something else I need to know is there, I always ask, is there something that hasn't been said, oh that's a good one. I like that one, which actually I'm going to ask you is there something that I haven't asked you yet that we should know about your guy.

JV: I don't think so. I mean I think it's really really important when you are opening yourself to spirit like that whether you are trying to hoping to reach out to a passed on loved one, or trying to connect with your guides, it's very very important that you create that high vibrational space, and you only are inviting in beings of the highest vibration, and those who are in it's so important, who are working for the highest good of the collective, because I mean, spirits like people like yes we're all energy and we're all souls, but there's different levels of vibration, right, and if you just open it to everyone, then you invite in those lower vibrational energies, that's when you can start to get draggy and you know you're it's violating like you wouldn't want some truth coming in your house, and it's the same way so you have to set those boundaries, and make sure you're only in those with the highest intention for the collective. So that's what I would say before you. Anyone can contact spirit, anyone can. But it's very important to set those boundaries first.

VL: First, I feel just like spiritual dating.

JV: Oh god, yeah.

VL: This has been such a cool conversation, I feel like I'm going to spend some time meditating tonight and invite only the highest good and set those boundaries first

When I feel like I want to revisit some of my Spirit Guides stuff I feel like it's been a really long time. I did and actually I do have one more question now, Do your staff guides change or do they stay the same your whole life?

JV: I think they change, I think, not all of them change. But I do believe, at different points in your life. They have different roles. I think that we all have main ones that stay the same throughout our journey. But I do think that some of them are just meant to come in for certain chapters of our lives.

VL: So fun! This might be, well this is a selfish question but I'm gonna ask it anyway, you are there any spirit guides of mine that are here right now?

JV: I actually feel that there's, there's one standing, if I'm looking at you on the screen here, behind your, I guess that would be your right shoulder, yes, there. I'm really picking up on like a masculine energy there, he I feel also like the color. It's like an indigo color I feel like he's wearing Indigo.

He's really bringing awareness to my teeth, and my mouth. He's. I feel like he's funny. I feel like he was like some sort of artist. He's got a very, he's got a lot of flair about him.

It's, I don't know if he's your main guide but I feel like he is here because he really was interested in this conversation that we are going to have, he's got a really pointed like aquiline nose He would call it an aquiline strong nose, black hair, kind of, just to his chin, I guess. Yeah, he's, he's interesting. He's really amused by this conversation that we're having.

VL: Maybe I'll, I'll try to channel him in my meditation. Yeah, yeah. That's so fun. Well thank you so much for sharing that. And again, incredible conversation, but we do have a couple more segments of the show so before I go into the final segment, I do want to ask you, where we can find you, where we can follow you, how we can get a reading or support your business in, and all those things because I know that people listening are going to want to know what their spirit guides are saying to.

JV: Oh I love that.

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VL: I always find that I tend to go to a spiritual reading when I’m looking for some sort of confirmation or some sort of direction. Almost like I;m a little too nervous to take that step into the darkness/or the new awareness, and then someone like you will do what you said and shine that light forward a little bit more and say, “oh yeah, this is the next best step, or avoid that because it’s just going to take you longer.”

So I’m sure people listening who are either curious, or looking for confirmation or that kind of thing, would love to connect with you!

[35:55] RAPID FIRE ROUND

1. What are you currently reading? What’s your favourite book?

JV: I'm usually an avid reader. But the last couple of years, I've really had a hard time focusing. But I've really been trying to force myself to get back into it. So I'm actually, I'm actually reading an erotica book, right, because you know. Variety is the spice of life. So I thought on TikTok, it's called desperate measures by Katie Robert.

It combines my love of Disney with my love of erotica. If that makes sense, it's kind of a twisted pairing, so don't judge me for that.

Desperate Measures by Katie Robert

2. What do you love most about being a woman?

JV: Oh, good question. What do I love most about being a woman… You know, I think women are so underrated. I think women are under appreciated. I think we're under estimated. I feel like being a woman is like, I mean really, we can do anything we're magic we're, we're, we're creators, we are creators, we're the givers of life. And I just think we're, we can be soft, we can be hard and driven and focused, we can be.

We can be the givers, we can also be the receivers. You know we can be the trailblazers, but we can also be, you know, the in the masses that support those who go ahead and blaze the trail so I guess I just like that. We are so multifaceted so complex. And really, I mean I love that we can be fierce and sexy and soft and spiritual you know what I mean, I just love, I guess I just love the multifaceted ways of being a woman. That was a really good question.

3. What does empowerment mean to you?

JV: I love empowerment. How do I want to word this… It means being humble enough to know that we don't know everything, but also having the courage to ask for the tools that we need to move forward. I feel that that is very empowering.

Being open to receiving what we don't already have or what we maybe don't recognize that we have. And that enables us, strengthens us, gives us the courage, the faith, the tools to know how to move forward.

4. What are you currently working toward?

Professionally: Writing a book. Don't write a book, and then get open heart surgery and take part in a global pandemic and all that because you'll have to restart it many, many, many times.

Personally: This is gonna sound so cliche. You know, I'm 50. But I really, I just really want to be in love again I really want to.

I'm hoping that Happily Ever After is in my cards so I guess personally that's what I'm working towards if a person can work towards them.

VL: I think they can. Yeah, I think you can do anything. As you said I think women are underestimated and we can do whatever we want and if this is what we're striving toward then, then yeah. Remember to trust, with a capital T!

Now Jodi, this was awesome! I learned so many new things, I think that you are an incredible human. I think that you have an amazing daughter, who I'm also going to link to in this episode too but, yes, this is a great like I love having these conversations. I like to learn all about that stuff. I feel super motivated to meet with my very fun, indigo guide!

We're gonna have a fun little coffee date meditation together. But thank you so much for your gifts. Now I just want to say that I really appreciate your time. I appreciate what you do and how bold you are and brave you are with all of the spiritual gifts that you have and I know I shared this with you privately but it's very inspiring to see how you work. So I just wanted to say that, again, thank you so much.

JV: Thank you so much it really was fun. I could talk about this stuff forever. So fun.

Podcast Host

Valerie LaVigne

Valerie is the creator and founder of Valerie LaVigne Life and the Women's Empowerment Show. She helps busy and empowered women create healthy habits so that they can become the best version of themselves and transform their lives. Learn more about Valerie here!