The Real Deal with Jen Costa

08 - Retreat Reflections: The Sacred Spirit Retreat

I just came back from attending the Sacred Spirit Retreat in Canada hosted by Danielle Searancke, also known as the Squamish Medium. I was talking to someone who asked me how it was and I found it hard to explain in words. Realizing that retreats or sacred travel can be a unique experience for everyone I thought I would give you a glimpse into what it was like for me.
I’ll be covering a range of topics including my experiences and breakthrough with clairsentience, dealing with social anxiety in large groups, feeling energy in large groups, meeting familiar people who feel like a soul family, and integrating back into everyday life after a retreat.
In particular, I’ll be discussing the emotional rollercoaster that comes with processing such an experience called integration. From feeling confused and shedding tears, to being super chill or having twitchy eyelids, it was all part of my journey. Post retreat I felt it hard to be present in the real world, and have been super distracted at work. I’ve also realized that I should not make a big decisions.
It's normal to need time to process everything and as time went on I had more realizations about my experience, specifically about being seen.
I joke and say this retreat broke me but it was one of the more profound experiences on my healing journey. And I can’t wait to do it again.
If you're interested in learning more or booking a reading with me you can go to jencostamedium.com.
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If you’re interested in following Danielle Searancke, The Squamish Medium you can check out here:Website squamishmedium.comDanielle’s Podcast-Spirit School-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4w4i78Sb6jsEZw5MyhJgXT?si=245fa1abe2934ec2-Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spirit-school/id1447766702

07 - Embracing Humanity and Spirituality: Navigating Both Worlds

In this episode I share my personal struggle with embracing my humanity, experiencing spirituality, and how it can be challenging to navigate both worlds. As we evolve and change we may wonder if we are still the same person, but for it me it always comes back to, “I’m still me.” Healing is hard, change is hard, and this journey can often be challenging but it’s worth it.
If you’re facing challenges on your own journey, here are some insights, experiences, and advice that might help:
Life is a journey not a sprint
You may not feel like you are changing, but take a moment to reflect on where you were just six months ago
It’s normal to feel overwhelmed at times, but remember that you’re not alone
When I’m in turmoil I have to make the time to sit in the power
Stay connected to spirt however that looks for you
Listen to the internal prompts and urgencies that you get daily
Make space for you to do what you love, whatever that may be
Keep and open mind and heart
If you're interested in learning more or booking a reading with me you can go to jencostamedium.com.
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06 - My Journey with Spiritual Teachers

Finding the right teachers on your spiritual journey can be challenging but with discernment you can find a good fit. Personally, I was fortunate to have an amazing mediumship development teacher from the start. I was definitely guided to my first teacher by spirit. I resonated with her authentic and genuine qualities; she was a straight shooter, no BS, shared her experiences humbly and taught from her own personal experience. However, everyone’s journey is unique, and not every teacher will be the right fit for you.
In this episode I discuss my experiences and some things to keep in mind when searching for the right teacher and group:
My experience trying a new mediumship teacher (who I ended up not resonating with)
Trusting your intuition when selecting a teacher or group to learn from
Just because someone is recommended doesn’t mean they’ll resonate with you
If a teacher or group doesn’t feel right, trust yourself and look for something that does
Even the most well-known mediums may not be the right fit for you
Pay attention to how a teacher handles challenging people or situations in the group
Get to know the people in the development circle, not just the teacher. A good group with feel connected, supportive, and bonded, even of everyone is different.
Be aware of not resonating with group members.
Don’t be afraid to leave a group if it doesn’t feel right for you.
Remember that your spiritual development journey is unique to you, so find a group that fits you-it’s YOUR development journey
If you're interested in learning more or booking a reading with me you can go to jencostamedium.com.
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05 - Signs and Symbols: Navigating the Spiritual Journey

TW: The following episode has a brief mention of suicide (6:25-7:35). Please take care when listening. If you’re having suicidal thoughts or need someone to talk to, please call the National Suicide Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988.
In this episode I’ll be sharing my personal experiences with signs on my spiritual journey as a medium. I answer some common questions about signs, such as how to know if a sign is meant for you, how to discover your personal sign, and what do the signs mean?
Additionally I’ll talk about some topics related to signs:
Why hawks have been such an important sign for me and continue to be
Needing a signier sign (how many signs is enough to make us believe)
How others have experienced my sign with me
differentiating between a “hello” from your spirit guides and a confirmation of your thoughts
How signs have brought me comfort and made me feel I’m connected to something greater
How I receive signs through songs
The fine line between asking for a sign and becoming obsessed with asking for them
Tips for asking for a sign - being specific is key
How signs can help build trust with yourself and your team
If you're interested in learning more or booking a reading with me you can go to jencostamedium.com.
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04 - Coming Out as Woo: Navigating Self-Acceptance

In this episode I talk about coming out as woo. I realized there were a lot of correlations between coming out as gay and coming out as a medium. I’ll talk briefly about my coming out story, and my experiences coming out as a medium to family, friends and my partner. This episode also touches upon:
The weight and meaning that words carry
How people had different opinions when I came out as woo-some positive, some negative, some neutral
How my fear was really anticipation of what others responses would be
How my self acceptance grows over time
How being true and authentic to yourself is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself and others
When you can show up and be you there’s nothing better than that
If you're interested in learning more or booking a reading with me you can go to jencostamedium.com.
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03 - Confronting Fear: My Personal Journey

Recording this episode brought to the surface my own struggles with fear. I was fearful of being heard, and exposing myself to the opinions and potential criticism of others. Fear for me, fear comes from a place of internalized past trauma that I’ve carried throughout my life. Unfortunately fear and anxiety often go hand in hand. Lucky me, I have them both. When you feel fear, you often feel it in a certain place in your body. For me it tends to manifest as a tightness in my chest. I’ve learned that the best way to overcome fear is to face it head on and do the thing that scares me. It’s not always easy but I’ve found that once I push through the fear, I enter a state of flow, where I lose track of time.
This journey is a long one, but I challenge you to confront your own fears. When you do, tell someone and celebrate!
NOTE: (I initially considered outsourcing this episode out to be edited but I pushed past my fear and did it myself.)
If you're interested in learning more or booking a reading with me you can go to jencostamedium.com.
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02 - From Skeptic to Believer: How I Started as a Psychic Medium

On the road to becoming a psychic medium there’s sometimes a triggering event that peaks our curiosity, and mine came from starting to meditate. Meditation opened the door to me to seeing an apparition…three times. So of course the next thing I did was google “psychic medium” to figure out what the heck was going on. (Who else are you supposed to call?) Needless to say after meeting with a medium it was a lot to digest and I was mindblown. Thankfully, I found myself in a development circle which gave me confidence, clarity, humbling experiences and a place to explore it all.
If you're interested in learning more or booking a reading with me you can go to jencostamedium.com.
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01 - Who I Am and Why I’m Here

On this episode, I introduce myself, talk about my realization of being gay, my first time meditating, and how spirituality plays a role in my life. I’ll also touch on joining my first mediumship development group, my past as a police officer, and my struggles with trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder and how the woo has helped me heal.
If you're interested in learning more or booking a reading with me you can go to jencostamedium.com.
Follow me on Instagram