Shawn Margaret Cohen was born in America in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to first generation American immigrant parents. Her mother’s parents were from Letterkenny, Ireland and Edinburgh, Scotland, and Catholic, her father’s parents were from a small town in Poland, Jewish, and luckily escaped before WW2. Shawn was born in 1956, the same year Elvis Presley hit with “Heartbreak Hotel”. Her birth was extraordinary, as she was born with a caul. Her mother was afraid something was wrong but the doctor assured her she was just perfect, when he opened it. Her father, calling his wife’s Irish mother in Brooklyn, New York, to let her know she had become a grandmother, said when she heard her grandchild had been born, “I know, I heard a baby cry!” Pittsburgh and New York are 369 miles away from each other! Margaret, Shawn’s Grandmother, who Shawn is named after, was also very psychic so when hearing Shawn was born with a caul excitedly told her father, “You are so blessed, that means your baby is psychic and will bring you good luck!” Shawn’s father was not convinced. Shawn grew up in a very dysfunctional home but it was all good fodder to help her develop a need to help and heal herself and others. Often many Lightworkers do and this is why.
Shawn grew up to be a Psychic, Medium, Metaphysician, a Master Tarot Reader, an Astrologer and a Past Life Regressionist, as well as authoring 4 books on Esoteric Knowledge. Her 40 years in this spiritual work has taken her around the world (and that’s before the internet!) She has taught Metaphysics, beg and adv, Astrology beg and adv. Gave in depth Psychic Medium Tarot Readings, offered spiritual workshops, counselling and holistic health advice and Past Life Regression therapy. Although born with all the “clairs” (clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, telepathy and prophecy) it was the tragic untimely death of her beloved first boyfriend, Glen, at the age of 23 and he only 25, (they met when she was 14 and he 16) that led her to her spiritual education and training, her awakening and finally her career.
She trained at “The American National Institution for Psychical Research and Development in Westlake, California and graduated with a BSc in Metaphysics, also attended their Holistic School of Nursing, graduating in 1983. Prior to that she had been working towards her degree in Psychology, English Lit and Film.
In July, 1985 Shawn was asked to come and participate and offer her Metaphysics to a group of Brits at the Pellin Institute in Montecorice, Italy. That was so successful it led to a full time job as a psychic medium Tarot Reader at Mysteries, in Covent Garden, London, where she perfected her craft. She has made London her base ever since but has also worked abroad again in Italy, Israel, Cyprus, Sweden and all over the USA & UK. She is a single parent to a beautiful daughter named Autumn, now 25 years old. And has a cat named Romeo, her familiar, age 11.
In 2016 Shawn created Cafe Esoterica Radio on BlogTalkRadio.com. It ran for 3 years and her logo reads, “the most enlightened guests”. She chose them, interviewed them and put out the Mind, Body and Spirit best of the best for the world to know and learn from. Her show is still available worldwide on Spotify (under podcasts), Stitcher.com, Podbean.com, TuneIn.com and http://www.BlogTalkRadio.com/CafeEsotericaRadio. There is also another podcast on that same link, created in 2021, for those who would like to heal their heartbreak called, “The Shape of My Heart” and heal dysfunctional relationships and find true love.
What esoteric artistry came first to you and why?
When I was a child I often had prophetic dreams, strange dreams. I did not really understand them until I was older and studied dream analysis and Jung. Although both my parents knew I was “psychic” they never put much value in it, and when this happens, a child must protect her gifts. It was when my boyfriend had died by a bicycle accident and I was 3000 miles away and saw his spirit, absolutely devastating, but when he kept coming to me, in my dreams, speaking in my ear, this is when I was age 23, I realised I must do something with my gifts, learn how to use them so I did. I also fell in love with Astrology by reading “Linda Goodman’s Sun Signs” at age 13.
In your incredible career, which aspect of your work have you found to be the most gratifying?
Teaching. I love watching my students blossom and grow through learning Metaphysics or Tarot or Astrology. I see them loving it and it makes me so happy. Many have gone on to become famous, do fantastic things in this world, healing work, authors, psychics and divination work, astrologers, photographers, musicians, doctors and nurses and so much more and for this I am also very proud of all of them!
I also love working one to one in my private consultations on Zoom media. My clients are worldwide. It gives me a great thrill and I also believe in Heaven as I bring through loved ones from spirit, their amazing messages for those that grieve, even pets can send messages and my clients just love that aspect of the reading.
What is the definition of “Spiritual Metaphysics”- as per your book?
Metaphysics: it means “above the physical” or “beyond the physical” and this is exactly what I teach. I have in my first book “The Metaphysics 1 Workbook” the syllabus includes 12 weekly courses and some of the subjects are, for instance, “Laying on the Hands, for Healing”, “Colour Therapy and Seeing Auras”, “Candle Magic”, “Meeting your Guide”, “Meditation”, and many Holistic Medicine therapy techniques like Iridology, Acupressure.
In my more advanced Metaphysics 2 course, also 12 weeks, “Metaphysics 2 Workbook” shows my students how to discern, critically think, to see beyond the illusions of this world and seek the truth, they learn “Universal laws”, “Healing with Crystals and Gemstones”, “Healing with Sound”, “Kabbalah”, “Angelology”, Numerology ( a full course) and much more. It is very deep and spiritually awakening!
What power and energy is attached to the Tarot and how does this filter through to the reader?
The Tarot is made up of images on cardboard, therefore there is no magic on it, per se. The magic is in knowing what the 22 Archetypes on the Major Arcana are about, studying their meanings and the colours and the numbers, because each means something, with its distinct symbolism and putting it all together for a sentence or a feeling or looking to the next card for more clarification. This creates the reading.
The 56 Minor Arcana show the details, activities, timing and place and the Court cards show us people who are important to us. When shuffled and laid out in a spread, it becomes personal information (when the psychic tarot reader tunes into their client’s higher self) and therein, it becomes deeply individual and personal. I also use the cards to tune into spirit and bring through messages from Loved Ones in Heaven and also their crossed over pets.
In your experience, does working with different Tarot decks yield different results?
No, however it is visually interesting for the reader and perhaps the client as well. I can appreciate the artistry and it’s visuals which can offer something more than a classically drawn Tarot deck. But the power lies in the reader, not the deck.
I am not fond of some artists bastardizing the Tarot where it loses all it’s meaningful symbolism. I always teach with the Rider-Waite Tarot and my “The Tarot, The Tarot Workbook” uses this too, so the student can learn the classic images and meanings. Oracle Decks are nice and can add some spice to a reading and I use these too.
How do you define what it is to be a “Lightworker”?
For me, it is a soul who comes to earth to bring “illumination”, to be of service to humanity or the earth or animals on this planet. Many people only realise this through hardship and difficulties and in seeking the truth, going to therapy or having some reason to “seek the Light” they realise who they are and what their “mission” is.
It is often through this process of refining that they emerge knowing, “Oh this is who I am and what I was born for!” I chose working in Metaphysics, using my psychic gifts but many chose Healthcare or Veterinary care or Artistry or Authors or Teachers, who inspire and Guide, or Holistic Medicine or Nutrition or News that reflects the real truth because Lightworkers can not stand lies and are highly sensitive beings.
There are so many different ways to serve. Not all people are Lightworkers and not everyone working in these fields are Lightworkers. A Lightworker usually knows they work for God, not the dollar bill or pound or yen, and that God gives them what they need to live and they also know Archangel Michael is their Boss! No messing around! You signed up, now do the job!
I am currently writing a musical called, “Lightworker” and this will show exactly what my life as a Lightworker has been like and I am doing this to honour all us Lightworkers on the planet and those who have already served off the planet. The public should know and understand what it is we do and what a valuable contribution we make to this crazy world. I hope my play will reflect that and give them their dues!
Have you ever questioned a ‘higher’ reason for the loss of your two boyfriends?
Not when Glen died, I did not understand that at age 23. But Glen has been lovingly guiding me ever since and I feel like I would have never studied Metaphysics or understood that the spirit goes on, we never die, and the Other Side and Heaven without his constant connecting with me. That’s 43 years of constant messages, songs played on the radio from him, feathers and dreams and touching my chin, which he does!
Now with Art, who was 76 years old when he died in his sleep in 2004 that was a very different experience for me. Art knew I had become a professional psychic and didn’t like it in the end, because he has become a Born Again Christian!
We met in 1976, after Glen and I broke up and he was 28 years older than me and my boss, he was the manager of a jazz nightclub I was waitressing in, trying to pay for University. He was also a very well known ex Heavyweight boxer and we fell in love back then. It was not easy back then being in love with an older man and all I can say is I left to go back to University, and he went back to his family. We re-met in 1994 and unbeknownst to me he had become a Born Again Christian and I had been a professional psychic for 11 years at that point. I tried to explain my experiences and he was very upset, told me I was doing “the devil’s work and never contact him again!” Those were his last words to me and no matter how much I tried to explain, like most Born Agains, they are brainwashed to believe anything esoteric is not Godly! So I had no contact, back to London and in November 2004 I had a dream about Art…to my surprise…basically with symbols of his passing.
By this time, we had the internet and I was able to look him up. He was a well known Heavyweight boxer in his youth, Art Swiden, also known as The Pittsburgh Phantom and he had plenty of press in his day and sure enough there was his obituary! I was in London, he died in Pittsburgh. I was devastated, we left it so badly between us and I cried and cried. Within a short time, a couple of weeks later, still in deep grief, I had just taken my 9 year old daughter to school, a single parent from the start. It was 11:30am and I was back in my flat, which is on the ground floor. I have a big window and back patio. There, to my utter delight, he appeared, slowly forming, out my back window in a blaze of white light!
Art, all of his handsome self, looking exactly the way I remember him at age 48 when I had met him and he was dressed in a white tux! He smiled at me as I stood there agape watching him, daring not to breathe so he would not dissolve into the daylight. With so much love in his brown eyes he sent me this message by telepathy: ”Shawn, love never dies!” Art had lost his voice box to cancer 5 years before his passing and yet his distinctive masculine voice, Pittsburgh accent and all was heard loud and clearly in my mind. I was overjoyed with happiness and love.
He has also been with me for these many years and he has helped me with opening up to spirit , also brings those departed to the readings for my clients, so Art is still acting like a loving “boss” to me. I am so happy and grateful, he helped advance my mediumship so deeply and took me many times to Heaven and showed me around!
I love them both dearly and see them both as soul mates. Since that time I have lost two more exes, and they are also active sending me messages which I share with their families. It is a wonderful experience and I am very grateful for it. I am always looked over by them and they feature very strongly in my musical and in my life. Love truly never dies.
And thanks to them, I have no fear of death.
