Diane Wing: Tales of the Unexpected
OMTIMES: Another question comes to mind, is it true that everyone has ESP capability? In your personal opinion, is everyone really naturally psychic, or is this some extra-sensory skill one must learn?
Diane Wing: Everyone has natural psychic or intuitive ability and the expression of this gift varies in degree and type. This is what I call Inner Magick. I believe we have six senses and that we use our intuitive sense quite often and can develop it to the point of using it every day all day long. Understanding the nature of our particular intuitive ability is key. Also, trusting what comes through is essential in cultivating a strong intuitive sense. This is the most difficult aspect of developing intuitive gifts. Just like some people have a stronger sense of smell or extraordinary hearing, so do some have a stronger sixth sense. While there are inherent individual limitations to the ability, just as with the other senses, it differs from the other five senses in that it is beyond physical limitation and can be developed and enhanced.
Also, there are times when energetic sensitivity manifests itself in the other five senses, such as being able to see an 
auric field or hear the activity of imprinted energies from a time long past. The way your intuitive ability manifests is intimately tied to your true nature. It is tied to your knowledge set and to your strongest mundane ability. Emotionally sensitive people feel the information.
Those who are more cerebral will most likely get messages by way of thoughts. If you have a gift for knowing what is physically wrong with someone, then the message will come through as a physical sensation or even seeing the anomaly on the body. It is valuable to explore where your strongest abilities are and what circumstances enhance them. I talk about this extensively in my book, The True Nature of Energy: Transforming Anxiety into Tranquility and in my course on Intuitive Development.
OMTIMES: You are also a published author and in your many books, you provide educating points that help people to understand their own internal transformations. How would you classify the difference between the old traditional teachings and the newer New Age philosophy?
Diane Wing: There was a level of purity to the New Age movement in the early days (1970s). It was a melding of occult philosophy with the human potential movement and the embodiment of the divine. New Age followers sought to achieve spiritual wisdom and self-mastery. Those who were practitioners and teachers trained for years before bringing their message and services to their clients. Today, a weekend workshop grants certification as a masterful practitioner, ready to guide or heal anyone who walks by. The lack of expertise so prevalent in today’s practitioners has, in the main, made the term “New Age” synonymous with “woo woo.”
The time of magic bullets, quick fixes, giving away power, and wishcraft are behind us. It takes years, if not a lifetime to truly understand oneself and one’s place in the Universe, and the old traditions emphasized this fact. It is time to return to the idea of healing yourself before healing others, and letting go of all that holds you back—beliefs, history, negative emotions and thoughts—comes before entering into the practice of any sort of healing, guidance, or divination for others.
The New Age was great for starting the movement toward spirituality and self-awareness; now it’s time to take it to the next level. Spirituality goes beyond any religion or prescribed way of being regardless of tradition. It is a relationship and connection to the Divine that requires the seeker to define its nature and their relationship to it on a very deep and personal level.
The Law of Infinite Universes states that each person sees his universe or world a different way; therefore, no two people have identical views of the world. It’s time we all determined what our personal Universe includes and how we want to experience it. To sum it up, define the Divine, receive Divine downloads (what I call intuitive guidance), understand our relationship with ourselves, discover the uniqueness of the Self, and act in accordance with our true nature guided by Divine Will. Move beyond crystals and alternate dimensions; understand that tools themselves have no power; learn to effectively interact in the physical plane in which you live and go into a deeper connection with the Divine.
OMTIMES: What advice would you give to someone that wants to develop their Spiritual abilities and become a teacher like yourself? How does your Mystery school work?
Diane Wing: The most important thing is to address your own issues before guiding others with theirs. This takes a lot of hard work and the courage to look deep within the self. There are many who feel ready to teach or to do significant work with clients, yet have not taken the time to clear and heal themselves. This has become rampant and serves to dilute the work and the credibility of those who have done the deep work necessary to be a guide to others. In graduate school, our professors put us under a microscope to rid us of issues that could compromise the client in a therapy session. We had to deal with our own stuff before we could help anyone else. This is also true in teaching and in spiritual development. In every magickal system, the work starts with the Self. In astrology, the first house is that of the Self. In tarot, its images show us the journey of the Self and the way to deeper self-understanding. In The Book of Runes, Ralph Blum calls it “The Oracle of the Self.” In occult philosophy, The Great Work is the work of the Self, and its tenets and techniques are designed to go deep into self-discovery to strengthen one’s gifts and to address one’s weaknesses.
The Work is one that results in freedom from anxiety, detachment from outcomes, trust in the Universe or natural process, deep self-awareness, and mindfulness of the present state of being. The original Mystery Schools in ancient Greece, Egypt, and Rome were exclusive to only a chosen few and required lots of clearing and intense work before the most profound lessons could be learned. The ultimate goal was mastery of three primary concepts: know thyself, develop a will, and connect with Divine Will. My school, Wing Academy of Unfoldment, makes esoteric knowledge accessible and embraces these fundamental guidelines while allowing students to be their own guide and creator in a way that promotes a transformational experience, a personal evolution, and an unfoldment of each individual in their own unique way.
It teaches taking responsibility for what is in your life and encourages personal and spiritual growth that results in unique blossoming and unfoldment. To become a teacher, I recommend being at least two levels past the understanding of your ideal students. Read everything you can get your hands on in your chosen subject to understand various perspectives. Read until you start to disagree with certain authors and then develop your own unique approach to the material. Test your theories and see which ones work for you and then help your students cultivate their own thoughts and techniques on the subject. Embody the philosophy you teach. Become an effective communicator and develop your unique brand of relaying the material. Find ways for your students to apply the information.
Socrates said, “I cannot each anybody anything. I can only make them think.” To me, the role of the teacher is to spark curiosity and encourage students to get excited about the topic and make it their own. According to the Law of Infinite Data, there is always something new to learn, so make learning a lifestyle, and then share the knowledge and exemplify the path to wisdom.
