Intuition: What Is It, and Why Is It Important?
You’re in the right place if you want to…
Learn about what your intuition is and why it’s important
Discover tips for developing your connection to your intuition
Understand the difference between intuition and other similar things
Subscribe here to be notified about new episodes.
In this post, we will explore the intuition. Intuition is a strange thing. We all have it, but most of us don't know what it is or how to use it. In this article, we will explore the definition of intuition, the difference between intuition and other things like sensing, gut feelings, anxiety, logic, instinct, paranoia, fear reason and overthinking. We'll also discuss why intuition is important and how you can develop your own intuition.
Intuition Definition
Intuition is a difficult thing to define because it means different things to different people. Generally, though, intuition can be described as a feeling or hunch that comes from the subconscious mind. It is a way of knowing without knowing how you know, and it's often hard to explain why you feel the way you do. It's something that all of us have but many are unaware of their intuition.
Why Intuition is Important
Intuition is important because it allows us to connect with your subconscious mind and access information that you may not be aware of otherwise. Intuition often gives you insights and ideas that you wouldn't have come up with if you were using only your rational mind. Intuition can also help you to make decisions when you're feeling stuck or when you don't have all the information you need.
Can Intuition Be Wrong?
One question I'm often asked is whether the intuition can be wrong. I personally don't think your intuition can be wrong, I think the way you interpret can be inaccurate though. Additionally, if you follow your , it could be that you think it's a message from your intuition but it's actually anxiety, wishful thinking, or logic.
How to Develop your Intuition
There are many ways to develop your intuition, but some of the most effective methods include being present, noticing patterns, practicing self care, and spending time in nature.
Be Present
The first thing to do is to be more present in your world. Become more aware of and present in each moment, especially when meeting new people or visiting a new place. Tune into your senses the sights, scents, and sounds around you on a conscious level so that you can be more aware when your subconscious is picking up on something.
Notice Patterns
The next thing to do is be more aware of the patterns in the world around you. Everything in this universe is made up of patterns. Humans are creatures of patterns, it’s embedded in your DNA. Pay attention to what triggers your thought, speech, and behavior patterns. This can help you understand your intuition better.
Practice Self Care
Self care is something we talk about a lot on this podcast, but that’s because it’s so important for a magical practice and that includes developing your intuition. We all have varying levels of ability. Therefore, start by understanding what your baseline for health and wellness is, before developing a self care practice for yourself. Make sure you care for yourself on all levels: body, mind, and spirit.
Spend Time in Nature
Spending time in nature is a great way to develop your intuition. When you're surrounded by the beauty of the natural world, it's easier to connect with your intuition and listen to what it has to say. Nature provides a sense of peace and calm that can help you access your intuition more easily.
Train Yourself
You can train yourself to tune into your intuition. To do this, make a commitment to always incorporate something that stimulates the same sense when engaging in intentional intuitive practices like reading the Tarot. For example, use the same incense scent, play the same music, drink the same tea, eat the same thing, etc. Then, when you want to interact with your intuition in a mundane setting, simply stimulate the sense again.
Look for Confirmation
Confirmation can help you trust your intuition. When you have an intuitive hunch, be observant to discover whether you interpreted your hunch correctly. Treat this like a scientific experiment and make note of all things related the hunch. Be wary of confirmation bias. In other words, don’t only looks for things that will confirm your hunch, look for things that contradict your hunch too.
Other Things That Are Confused with Intuition
There are many things that tend to get confused with intuition so let's attempt to create boxes around these experiences and discuss how you can differentiate them from intuition.
Sensing
Sensing is being aware of your surroundings. You use your senses to take in information about the world around you so that you can better understand it. I think sensing is important for developing your intuition, and also for developing your psychic senses, but they are separate experiences.
Gut Feelings
A gut feeling is a physical manifestation of intuition. You feel the hunches in your stomach or gut area. Although some people will get this feeling in the heart area or other areas of the body and some people might not experience intuitive nudges on a physical level at all.
Instinct
Animals, including humans, are born with certain instincts, but many of our instincts are learned through experience. We learn to fear things that are dangerous, or to be attracted to things that are beneficial for us. Where intuition comes from the subconscious mind, instinct comes from the conscious mind.
Logic
Logic is a process of reasoning that uses evidence and facts to arrive at a valid conclusion. It is different from intuition because, as we've said, intuition isn't rational or reasonable and there's no way to trace how you came to the conclusion. It's just a feeling you get.
Wishful Thinking
Wishful thinking is a type of thinking where you allow yourself to believe in something that isn't true. It's often based on hope or desire, rather than evidence or reason. It can motivate you to achieve your goals, but it can also lead to disappointment or unrealistic expectations. It is different from intuition because it's all about the mind and your thoughts, it is conscious. Intuition is in the body and your feelings, it is subconscious.
Anxiety
Anxiety is a feeling of unease that evolves from worry or fear. It is often a normal reaction to a perceived threat, stress, thoughts of the past or the future, a traumatic event, or a genetic disposition.
In some ways anxiety is helpful because it warns us of potential danger. However, if it overwhelms you, turns into paranoia or delusion, gets worse over time, or interferes with regular activities, you may have an anxiety disorder and it would be good to talk to a doctor to seek help.
In general, anxiety can be traced to a real source, whether rational or not, where intuition seems to come from nowhere. Additionally, anxiety is usually accompanied by physical symptoms like sweating, restlessness, tenseness, or an increased heart rate. It feels immediate and loud. Intuition is a more pleasant sensation, whether it's the gut feeling discussed earlier or just a general calm knowingness. It is much easier to ignore.
Another difference is that anxiety is focused anywhere but the present moment. For example, how embarrassing you were at the party last weekend, what could happen if you get on the plane, whether you'll do well on your presentation. Conversely, intuition is focused on the present. For example, what's going on around you at this very moment.
Send us a voicemail
We play one listener voicemail on each episode of Talk Witchcraft, with a few exceptions. To send us a voicemail, record a voice memo on your phone and email it to welisten [at] talkwitchcraft [dot] com. Please keep in mind that we only choose voicemails that are two minutes in length or shorter (even if they’re great!).
What we’re looking for in a voicemail
Share from your personal experiences (especially experiences that we could never have) and use that to illuminate the zodiac season or theme in new ways.
Ask questions of Erica and Maggie, so we have an opportunity to respond meaningfully to your voicemail during the podcast.
Use one of these prompts: Is there something happening with you and your life that aligns with the current zodiac season or a Tarot card? How do your experiences show us something new about the magic, something that we haven’t talked about so far?
Send a voicemail even if you’re behind on the podcast. If your voicemail is about a previous episode, zodiac season, or tarot card; that doesn’t mean we won’t choose it!
Tips for recording a great voicemail
Make sure you’re somewhere quiet.
Plan what you’re going to say ahead of time, because two minutes goes quickly.
Opt for talking freely based on a bullet pointed list rather than reading word-for word from a script.
Let us know if you’d prefer to remain anonymous.
Wait, don’t go yet!
Thanks for hanging out with me today. If you’ve enjoyed this post of Talk Witchcraft, I invite you to check out mumblesacademy.com.
Mumbles Academy is the place to be for intuitive souls at any stage on their WitchPath. Whether you are a Wildling at the very beginning of witchcraft journey and looking for a safe learning environment, a Creator who is already committed to their practice and wants to develop their witchcraft skills even more, or a Sage who full of wisdom already and is ready to share that with others, Mumbles Academy was designed for you.
With monthly masterclasses and live Q&As, an extensive archive of courses and training, and a supportive community to help you along the way with encouragement and advice, Mumbles Academy is the perfect place for you to be as you as you continue on your WitchPath.
Now it’s your turn!
Share how you came out of the brook closet. Or if you’re not out yet, tell us why.
