We asked Annie to answer a few questions about her work and her self. They follow this brief bio:
Annie is a seer, Italian wise woman and diviner in the Dagara stick tradition. She grew up in southwestern New Hampshire and still practices her medicine in her ancestral hometown there. Annie answered the call of becoming an initiated diviner in order to bring a unique earth-based healing to those in her community as well as others in need.
Annie has been on the path to becoming a diviner since the age of twenty. She was first called to the path in a stick divination years ago. From there, her Aunt who is also a stick diviner and an Italian Strega mentored Annie.
Annie comes from a long line of Italian Streghe as well as Celtic seers. She is initiated in both of those traditions and continues to carry on her family’s medicines. She works closely with the Earth to deliver healings to those in need. Annie has a deep love of flowers, nature and animals. Her medicine is rooted in returning people and places to their original patterns; wild and free.
Annie works with many tools in an effort to connect with a variety of needs. She works both remotely and in person as well as individually and with groups.
ST: How did you come to know about your own abilities as a seer and a diviner?
AD: I was “claimed” to do this work in my first ever divination. I have been clairsentient for as long as I can remember and that continues to be one of my strongest gifts. I have also always been a vivid and accurate dreamer. Before being initiated as a diviner I relied heavily on my ability to gain information through dreams.
ST: What prompted you to want to study it, acquire skills and become initiated?
AD: Initially after being claimed, I felt very nervous. I did not completely understand what going down this path would mean for my life. After I had finished my undergraduate degree I spent a year in California studying with my Aunt who is also my mentor. We did a lot of work that year with other diviners as well. After being a part of that community I felt ready to start on my path to initiation.
ST: What do you see as your specialty in this work?
AD: I do a lot of sacred knot work; knotting of intentions and prayers for people and for the Earth. I also like to work individually with people, helping them to reclaim their true wild selves through divination.
ST: What do you hope to accomplish by offering this work to the public? What is your vision for the future?
AD: My hope in bringing this to the public is to help people break down the barriers of emotional, physical and spiritual isolation and reconnect with themselves, their communities and with nature. I believe that this work is the healing that our planet so badly needs.
I like to imagine a world where people aren’t afraid to show their true selves and their true feelings; where people’s connection with their spirituality is direct and meaningful to them. I like to imagine a world where communities are thriving again and all beings feel held and predominantly safe. I believe that this work is our path back to that; that we are at a crucial time to return back to this and do the work to heal ourselves and our planet.
ST: How would you define the wedeme/elemental beings from your own experience?
AD: To me, my wedeme is a guide. I rely deeply on my wedeme’s guidance to navigate this world and this work. My wedeme is the linking being that I need to do all of the healing that I wish to do. Elemental beings are those who have not lost hope in us, those who wish to help us still after all of these years. We owe so much to them, it is hard to even comprehend.
ST: Do you remember having these gifts as a child?
AD: I have always been clairsentient. I have always had a knowing of people and places. Because this was left unexamined in me, it turned to a form of deep anxiety that I struggled with. As a child, and even young adult, I would get information that I did not know what to do with. Being initiated and working with this gift that I have has released that anxiety from me. I know now how to work with what I feel and know.
ST: What would you like to tell people about this work that they may not know or you believe they may have misconceptions about?
AD: This work isn’t for just one type of person. This work is not performed by just one type of person. This work is ancient, it is something we all share whether we want to face that or not. If we slow down and really look at it, dig a bit through time and ourselves, we will see that any reluctance we feel to connect with this work is not coming from within us; it is coming from the ideology around us. I would ask people to question where that reluctance is truly coming from. Simply put, I would implore people to ask as many questions as they need because this work is welcoming of that.
ST: Is there anything that surprised you about this work or that was different than you expected once you became initiated?
AD: Divination is very amusing for the diviner. The elemental beings are witty and playful and funny. They can also be very serious at times and some are more serious than others. When the time is right, they really know how to make you laugh.
ST: What would you like to say to others that may be spiritual lineage holders and may be wondering what that means or if they should pursue a deepening of that knowing?
AD: I would say to them what a being once said to me during a divination, “It may be scary to stand at the window and look out. You’re vulnerable now and people can see you. But you know you can’t live your days on earth standing near the window and never taking a peek.” This was said to me by an incredibly supportive being who did not get a chance in her short life to be initiated into her spiritual lineage. I think if what she said resonates with you then you owe it to yourself to pursue a deeper knowing of what you have to offer.
ST: What are you most excited about moving forward?
AD: I am excited to go deeper into my divining practice. It has been an incredible experience so far. I am also excited to work with people and expose more people to this incredible work.
ST: How would you define divination?
AD: I once had a being tell me that divination is really just a set of tools that the diviner and spiritual beings have agreed upon. Both parties use these tools to communicate on behalf of someone or a subject. Kind of like passing notes when you can’t speak in class. There have been many forms of divination throughout time that share common elements; however, ultimately, the way the tools are used is individual to the diviner and the beings that diviner works with.
Learn more about what styles of divination Annie offers or book a divination with Annie here.
Read a review from a client of Annie’s here
Follow Annie on instagram @janarra_rising