Avatar photo

By Thahasello Mphatsoe

Multimedia Journalist


Watch: Getting in touch with your guides and angels during uncertain times

Angel card readings, reiki sessions, and visitations with life coaches have become popular everywhere. These are some of the many tools to navigate life.


After barely surviving a pandemic, a rise in mysterious illnesses and a failing economy, amongst many other problems, most people are just searching for answers, peace or something to believe in.

Spirituality seemingly offers interminable ways to help one find clarity and stability, practices that guide one to peace, and methods to heal one emotionally, mentally and physically.

Life coach, reiki, teacher and author Shannon Walbran says, “In learning about many different religions and travelling to over 50 counties, I find that there’s a deep human need for meaning”.

“What most people are not aware of is, the answers are within, and then they’re reflected externally. We can use symbols, cards, books, and prayer or meditation to help us navigate and find answers to life,” says Shannon.

Angel card readings, reiki sessions, and visitations with life coaches have become popular everywhere. These are some of the many tools to navigate life.

These practices have been used for years all over the world. Most people have their own set of beliefs and practices that they do, and they choose to stick to just that. Yet the rise in digitalisation and social media has exposed everyone to different types of spiritualities. Nowadays, one can get a session on someone’s ‘Live’ on TikTok.

Shannon Walbran
Spirit guide-interpreter Shannon Walbran poses outside her offices in Johannesburg, 2022/07/12. Picture: Thahasello Mphatsoe

A session serves to give one communication from your angels and guides. According to Shannon, “angel cards or oracle cards are cards with pictures and words, and you randomly choose one of them to answer your question”.

“But it’s not random. Nothing is random. It’s all guided. So if I pray and get serious, and I ask for help from the guides, I pull a card and can get guidance from them.”

For me, someone who has never had a card reading before, having a session with Shannon was nothing close to what I imagined.

She asked me three main questions before the session. Do you believe you have angels and guides? What is your religious foundation? And what do you believe in now?

These questions can help you decide if this session is something you want to do or not.

Shannon Walbran started as a spirit guide-interpreter and worked as a psychic in South Africa from 2003.

First, she was working on the radio, answering people’s questions when they called in. From this experience, Shannon formulated “the best 100 questions that were the most effective, the juiciest and the most interesting”. And this book is available for free.

The worst feeling would probably be going to a reading underprepared or leaving and realising you should have asked a question differently to get the most out of the answer.

Shannon’s 100-question book helped me rephrase my questions to get a more specific or broader answer.

The biggest takeaway was, with most of the answers, it felt like I already knew the answer, and they were now being revealed to me. The session was comfortable and aligned with my spiritual life and beliefs.

Shannon’s way of teaching is to help people get their answers independently. “I’m like a doctor who tells you to quit smoking and eat your vegetables and get some exercise. Because I don’t want you in my office anymore.”

“I want people to have their own answers and be prepared because I know it costs money or chickens to see a psychic or a sangoma.”

A 1-hour 10-question session with Shannon Walbran is R2 499. Her services range in different prices.

“I charge money for my services because the changes I bring to people’s lives are massive and transformative, and it’s worth it,” says Shannon.

Additional reporting and video: Tracy Lee Stark

Also read: Nataniël’s goddaughter becomes youngest published writer in France

Access premium news and stories

Access to the top content, vouchers and other member only benefits