My abuela Angie and three of her sisters had the 'gift'. Angie could tell the sex of an unborn child and whether it would be healthy or stillborn just by looking at the mother - she was uncannily right. She also made 'come to me' and 'go away' powder which she sold regularly. I remember my fortune being read whenever she visited . . . and her worn, beautiful Mexican divining cards.
My other aunts were also adept at telling the sex and health of unborn babies, and . . . they could cast the 'evil eye'.
The ability to see into the future and manipulate energy in order to cause certain outcomes bypassed my mother and jumped to me - like my grandfather's baldness. I've alternately embraced and rejected it all my life.
In my late 30's I began to hear a voice claiming to be that of an old testament prophet. I spent three years listening and following his instructions. During that time I started doing hands on healing and divining with such accuracy I quit - it was frightening.
Eventually, I was given a specific name, street and place to go. According to the voice, my destiny lay there. Being tired of wondering whether I was gifted or schizophrenic, I decided to call the voices bluff. I flew to a city I was unfamiliar with, found the street and then realised the name of the person I was meant to meet was created by two adjoining signs at the end of that street. This was way beyond coincidence. Also, rather confusing.
I stopped my 'magic' explorations as soon as I came back to London. It took another two years before the meaning of my final adventure became clear.
When I told Pia - my soon to be wife - this story, she insisted I google the name I'd been given. We discovered that he was a well-known flamenco guitarist. I took this as a sign to return to music.
A few weeks later I began guitar lessons with a wonderful teacher who - after I told him the story - informed me the man was a joke in flamenco circles. He was a Yorkshireman, not Spanish. A bit like me.