By Soul Essence, New Eltham, London, UK.
Welcome to Soul Essence’s October 2026 newsletter!
“May the start of October remind you: you are worthy of new beginnings. You are worthy of finding joy in this season, no matter what is still unknown.” — Morgan Harper Nichols
Article for the month………..
Listening to the Unseen: Intuition Deep-Dive
There is a quiet voice within us that rarely shouts.
It doesn’t usually arrive with a five-point plan or a carefully reasoned argument. Instead, intuition can appear as a subtle feeling in the body, a sudden knowing, a persistent nudge, or an inexplicable sense that something is or isn’t right.
We often call it a “gut feeling”.
But in a world filled with noise, notifications, opinions and endless information, how often do we actually stop long enough to listen?
What is intuition?
Intuition is sometimes described as knowing without consciously knowing how you know.
It can be the feeling that tells you to pause before saying yes. The instinct to take a different route. The sense that you need to check in on someone. Or the quiet certainty that a particular opportunity, conversation or direction deserves your attention.
Intuition isn’t necessarily mystical. Our brains are constantly processing information beneath conscious awareness, recognising patterns, reading subtle cues and drawing on previous experiences. What reaches our conscious mind may simply be the final whisper of a much larger process happening beneath the surface.
And yet, whether you understand intuition psychologically, spiritually, or somewhere in between, the experience can be remarkably similar:
Something inside you is trying to get your attention.
Intuition versus fear
One of the biggest challenges is learning to distinguish intuition from anxiety, fear or wishful thinking.
Fear often feels urgent.
It says:
“Do something now.” “You can’t trust this.” “What if everything goes wrong?”
Intuition, by contrast, can be surprisingly quiet. It may not have a detailed explanation. It simply says:
“Wait.” “Look again.” “This matters.” “Go this way.”
That doesn’t mean every quiet feeling is intuition, or every anxious feeling should be ignored. Our emotions contain useful information too.
The practice is not to blindly obey an inner voice, but to become curious about it.
Instead of asking, “Is this intuition?”, try asking:
“What am I actually noticing?”
The body often speaks first
Before the conscious mind catches up, the body may respond.
A relaxed breath. A tightening in the stomach. A feeling of expansion. A sudden heaviness. A sense of ease that doesn’t seem to have an obvious explanation.
These sensations aren’t infallible messages, but they can be valuable signals.
Try this simple experiment.
Think about a decision you’ve been considering. Don’t analyse it. Simply bring one option to mind and notice what happens in your body.
Then pause.
Take a breath and consider the alternative.
What changes?
You may notice very little. Or you may become aware of tension, relief, excitement, resistance or calm.
You don’t have to interpret the sensation immediately.
Just notice.
Awareness comes before understanding.
Creating space to hear yourself
Intuition can be difficult to hear when every quiet moment is filled.
We reach for our phones. We ask everyone else what they think. We consume more information. We make another list of pros and cons.
Sometimes the answer isn’t hidden.
Sometimes there is simply too much noise around it.
Creating space doesn’t have to mean disappearing into the wilderness for a week. It might be ten minutes with your morning coffee without your phone. A walk without headphones. Journalling before asking anyone else’s opinion. Sitting quietly before making a decision.
The question becomes:
What do I think, before I hear what everyone else thinks?
A deeper intuition practice
For the next seven days, keep a small intuition journal.
Each day, write down:
- The nudge: What did you notice? A thought, feeling, sensation or impulse?
- The context: What was happening when it appeared?
- Your response: Did you act on it, ignore it, or investigate it?
- The outcome: What happened afterwards?
- Looking back: With hindsight, what do you think that feeling was telling you?
The purpose isn’t to prove that intuition is always right.
In fact, noticing when your intuition isn’t accurate can be just as valuable. It helps you recognise the difference between intuition, habit, fear, projection and desire.
Over time, you begin to learn your own internal language.
Listening doesn’t mean surrendering discernment
There is an important distinction between listening to intuition and treating every instinct as truth.
Intuition can be influenced by our experiences, assumptions, biases and fears. A strong feeling isn’t automatically a reliable conclusion.
For important decisions, intuition can sit alongside evidence rather than replacing it.
Gather the information. Consider the consequences. Ask questions. Take your time.
Then notice what happens when everything becomes quiet.
Sometimes intuition gives you the answer.
Sometimes it gives you the question you hadn’t thought to ask.
And sometimes it simply tells you to wait.
The unseen doesn’t have to be mysterious
Perhaps “the unseen” isn’t something supernatural at all.
Perhaps it is everything we haven’t consciously put into words yet.
The pattern you’ve been noticing. The boundary you’ve been avoiding. The desire you’ve been dismissing. The truth you aren’t quite ready to say aloud. The possibility you’ve been quietly considering.
Intuition may be the doorway between what we consciously know and what we have not yet articulated.
And learning to listen isn’t about becoming certain.
It’s about becoming attentive.
So this week, create a little more silence.
Before you reach for advice, pause.
Before you dismiss a feeling, notice it.
Before you rush towards an answer, take a breath.
And ask yourself:
“What do I already know that I haven’t yet given myself permission to hear?”
You might be surprised by what emerges in the quiet.
Meditation dates:
Tuesdays online via Zoom @ 7:30 pm on 27th October, 10th and 24th November 2026.
Wednesdays face-to-face @ 8 pm. on 21st October, 4th and 18th November 2026
Wednesday meditations will always be on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month.
Friday morning meditations are on the 4th Friday of the month at 11 am.
Contact Rosemary for information or to book any therapy sessions.
More information on the therapies I do can be found on my website.
If starting meditation is one of your goals for 2026, Soul Essence runs small groups. Contact Rosemary for dates and information. There are fortnightly online groups on Tuesday evenings and fortnightly face-to-face groups on Wednesday evenings.