We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful J.Marie Shackelford. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with J.Marie below.

J.Marie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

After living in Virginia for 16 years+, and having a fruitful following and business, spirit came one day in August/September of 2020 and said, “It’s time to move; pick a place.” Well, obviously, like anyone, I laughed and was like, yeah, right. Well, fast forward to pulling up a map and finding the only place that highlighted for me the Navajo Nation outside of Williams, Arizona. In all this, I was like, this can’t be real, yet I have never doubted spirit, and so I think more it was my logical brain that was having the issue with it.

How could I move with dogs, and kids, close my shop, give up my readings where I was a year booked out consistently, with a long waitlist, and risk going to a whole new state alone (outside of kiddos) and make this happen? How is this possible? In speaking with some friends, it was hard to separate their opinions from what my soul was saying: ” You can do this, go. There are a few pieces in between where I looked at some other states, texas and colorado, but I knew in my gut it had to be Arizona.

In October, I remember going to pick up a friend in DC, and I was hit by the wreckage caused by an accident that shattered my windshield at 80 MPH and blacked my whole window out on top of it. It was so scary. I remember getting home, hugging my kids, and knowing I had to do this right then. Although I see and work with death daily, life flashed for me, and it was time to go.
I started to put everything into motion. I sold our things, packed what we needed, closed my shop with the money I had in my pockets, and we did it. Not knowing what we were getting into, I trusted spirit. We drove four days across the country, stopping in TX to spend Christmas with my best friend, and arrived on December 29, 2020.

This risk wasn’t just about me. It was about my kids, about what life needed to be. After being here a year, and renting out a room to do my readings, spirit through me another curve ball and told me I needed to open a sanctuary here in Flagstaff. So in December 2021, I started building a beautiful place to hold teachers, speakers, healers, etc. We now offer camps, retreats, workshops, and so much more. I trusted them to get us here and help provide whatever was needed, and here we are! The most significant risk I’ve ever taken, and I am beyond happy that I did, not just for me but for all those who come through the doors.

J.Marie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

After losing my mom a the age of 6, from a young age, I was looking to make that connection with the other side. Growing up Catholic, speaking of what you saw, felt, or heard was unheard of. It was almost so unspoken that I thought everyone was the same. I didn’t know that not everyone saw or experienced life like me daily.

Fast-forward as I got into my teens, I found that I had an outlet with my friends to share more and be more open about what was happening. Like many teens, they especially wanted to hear about it if it involved them. Many years after graduation and joining the Navy, my best friend, who I called my brother, was murdered. I shifted my world in a way I never expected.

After connecting with him, I decided it was time to make the jump. To explore the gifts there on a different level, not only so I could connect with him but also to help others hear the messages I had longed for. I found a medium I could connect with, which allowed me to learn how to hone my gifts, connecting with spirit on a deeper level and hearing things from my mom and brother in a whole new way. I knew I was never alone, but feeling like I was sitting there with them, changed my perspective on spirit entirely.

In my years of work, I have found that it’s about more than just connecting someone to their loved ones. While the messages are so beautiful, it’s more about connecting them to the truth that things can get better, that they are never alone, that they hold power within themselves, and that beautiful thing can come when they believe in something higher than themselves. Yes, things may not feel ok, and grief is real, but there can be a shift if they are willing to listen and hear the guidance from above.

Spiritual work can be all roses and butterflies sometimes, but there is a lot of depth, hard times, things to overcome, grief to be had, and pain to release. It’s about growing, releasing, and wanting change. Over the years, spirit had pushed me to a platform of teaching. Teaching is where I push hard, I believe that everyone has a gift, and I believe we have to be aware of our healing while going out to heal the world. There’s a discipline that comes with it. I thank the military for that strength in my life and teaching. Teaching is not just for adults; it’s for children as well. The tools to help them through life, to help them to cope, release, and learn their connections inward with themselves.

I have created incredible things to help those looking to grow, heal and expand their gifts, such as books, workbooks, and cards. While also teaching people how to implement self-love and forgiveness as well. A few other platforms are teaching people how to reprogram their nervous system from trauma, abuse, PTSD, etc., and help those struggling with addiction find the healing and pick up the pieces of themselves that were lost long ago.

In being involved with some heavier parts of this work, I found my calling to help those with cold cases, unsolved cases, and missing persons. I feel so strongly that my brother lead me to this part of the journey. It’s been so rewarding and one that I find holds a special part in my heart. But even more, the joy I experience from those in spirit who get to see the closure on their loved ones’ faces here.

Writing, creating, and my art, there are so many levels of spirit to be shared with the world. In all I do, it separates me from others because it’s not just the love that comes to the surface; it’s the healing and the growth accompanying it. I tell all my clients they have to do the work; spirit will give you the blueprint, but they will not do it for you.

One other thing that I hold so dear is my connection with God. And I tell everyone you don’t have to connect the way I do to my God but find something beautiful above that you can connect to. I know that prayer with my clients alone has changed lives, and having those special moments has been amazing. I became a minister years ago because I wanted to work with passing clients. A death doula, if you will. I felt the calling early on in my journey that being a minister was to be able to bring a bit of God a little bit closer when needed.

In all I do, I strive to give people light in the darkness, to help them to explore and see life in a new way, and to feel closer to their loved ones, God, or themselves. It’s an ever-changing and expanding journey, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

My honesty, heart, and work alone have helped me gain my following. I know that we are all so different in how we read and connect with spirit, so I don’t find the need to feel competitive or anything. Because for me, it’s about making the impact I was meant to with my client and them finding the pieces they need for this part of their journey.

I have heard that I am blunt, and they love that I am honest and willing to share parts of my life with them, while I still like to be candid at times. It shows them that it’s not all perfect, as so many think that just because you have a connection to the other side, you get a free pass to life’s obstacles, which is far from the truth.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Oh, the lessons. I’ve had so many. For me, it was learning to forgive myself when I’ve not only carried things I shouldn’t have from clients, but for times that I forgot I was human. What I mean by that is that there is no work that is perfect, and that’s no different in being a medium, psychic, or in any field like this. It’s different every time. It’s playing charades, telephone, and Pictionary simultaneously, all in your head. There are things we can’t touch, and some things we may not understand. There have been a handful of times in all my years when things didn’t play out exactly as I interpreted from spirit or how the client “wanted.”

In that, I would carry the pain of feeling like I hurt someone who held so much faith in those words or sadness that I didn’t give someone exactly what they wanted. It took me years to remember I was a human having spiritual experiences and that we, as messengers, do the best we can. It was hard to learn that and accept that it’s not meant for perfection. It’s intended as guidance so that we do our best we know how in those moments to help our clients the best we can.

There is not one job where someone is always perfect, and even in knowing this, we all still usually strive to be our best for the job. My goal is never to upset or hurt someone. It’s to be the bridge between worlds the best I know how. Learning to say we did our best and revisiting whatever needs to be seen again and doing everything with honesty and integrity the best we can in this field is all we can do.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jmariemedium.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/mediumjmarie
• Facebook: facebook.com/mediumjmarie
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mediumjmarie
• Other: www.thejunipertheory.com

Image Credits
Myself and Esmeralda Jame