It seems nearly impossible for even me to believe, but in going through twenty-three years of Black Gate archives, I realized I have never interviewed a medium. Guys who made lamps out of old doll heads? Check. The kid who played “Newt” in Aliens? You betcha. A goth boy band? More times than I can count. But someone who communicates with the dead – for real? Never until now.

I wasn’t aware of what now seems like a glaring oversight on my part, until I made the acquaintance of Ms. DeEtte Ranea at the last show of the spooky season, Days of the Dead. Though in my head I was expecting a much older woman of some vague Slavic descent, likely wearing an earring and a headscarf, DeEtte in no way fit my mental image of a medium, and once I got used to that, I realized I had oodles of questions. DeEtte was gracious enough to agree to answer them and I managed to whittle them down to thirteen, which seemed like an appropriate number given the topic.

So, everyone, please meet DeEtte.

DeEtte, please meet everyone.

DeEtte Ranea

GC: Would you define a “medium” and differentiate a medium from a psychic?

DR: A medium is someone that is able to receive information from those that are not living. This can be loved ones who have passed away, friends, angels, or guides.

A psychic is someone who is able to receive information that is not tangible to another person. They will receive information on the person’s life, past, present and future. This should come in the form of guidance.

Both skill sets receive the information with a variety of senses. Seeing, hearing, feeling, and knowing. There are other senses to receive information, these 4 being the main ones.

When did you first become aware of your talent?

This is a multi-layered answer. As far back as I can remember, I always knew things that I had no way of knowing. Even the answers to questions that had not been asked.

I can remember lying in bed at night and being scared. I could feel people in the room with me, but I was not able to see them. I would lay there with the covers tucked in around me and up under my chin. I was that kid that knew there were beings in my closet and at the foot of my bed.

It wasn’t until I was 9 years old when I found out what it was all about. My grandma was in the hospital. I had never been in one and had no reference to what it looked like on the inside. She had come to me in a dream.

In the dream, we walked through the hallways as she talked to me. I can remember not really listening to her, until we got to a room with an old lady in a bed with tubes all around her. (oxygen and IV). She had asked me who that was, I replied that it was her. Then she asked, but who am I? I told her I was confused. And that is when she explained to me the difference between the soul and the body and that her body (in the bed) was no longer working. She also told me not to be afraid. She went on to tell me I was able to talk to souls that are not in the body and that I should not fear this.

I woke up and told my mom grandma had died. She replied if she had, she would have received a call (this was not her mom). A few minutes later, the phone rang, and she was told grandma had indeed passed away. For years after, I would dream of people’s deaths.

It was many years later that I began to put pieces of what I was able to do together. Truly a lifelong journey.

Do you “see” dead people, or is the interaction less literal?

Until recently, I’ve only seen dead people in my mind. It is how my brain perceives the information it is being given. Recently, I have become more aware of the dead around me. I have been seeing them out of the corner of my eye. Either standing or moving. It has been a progression of my abilities. The more I practice and trust, the clearer my abilities become.

Are there special circumstances that cause the deceased to reach out, such as “unfinished business,” or do spirits that are also fully at peace seek to communicate?

I am going to answer these two different ways.

With a person that has crossed over, the person that has passed finds the medium they would like to work with and then they find ways to get the one they want to talk with. I know this sounds strange, but truly, it’s in the loved one’s hands. They want to communicate for so many reasons. Just like they did when they were alive. They may want to say hello, apologize, say I love you. Tell you where the money is hidden, give you their opinion on situations in your life. The list truly is endless. In these cases, the soul is at peace. They are truly in a better place.

There are also souls that have not crossed. You hear about these as ghosts. These either want to be left alone, or just want to talk. They also have a variety of reasons. I have found with these; they have a story they want told, are angry, afraid to cross, and in the rare case, do not realize they have passed. The list with these souls is also endless.

Were all spirits once living people, or are there other types of entities?

I have found in the work I do; I have seen entities also. I have seen these in places that are of a “haunted” nature. I have also seen them while remote viewing for an organization I volunteer for. These are not as abundant as TV leads us to believe.

Would you describe your thoughts on the term “haunting?”

Any place with a structure on it or not, that has a non-corporal life. This can be of many different natures. You have most spirits coexisting with the living. We don’t even know they are there, or don’t notice the things that are slightly out of place. All the way to the opposite spectrum and become very violent.

For me, it doesn’t matter where on the spectrum a haunting is occurring. We need a level of respect for those that have passed away. We so often want to believe we “own” something or are here now and the soul needs to move on or get over it. We need to understand, they were there first. We also are not able to force a soul to move on. They have free will. Just as with living, when you come to a situation from a place of peace and respect, you will have better results.

What is the difference between a spirit entity and a residual haunting?

A spirit has intelligence. You can interact with it and have responses that are in line with questions asked. You are able to follow a soul as it moves about.

A residual haunting is a place that has a past event or energy that is replaying over and over. This isn’t an energy you can follow. It is stationary within its area.

Has your talent ever made you afraid?

When I was young it terrified me. And I will say that at times it still does. I live in a haunted house. Normally the souls living there do not bother me. We coexist. But sometimes in the middle of the night when I get up to use the restroom, I can feel them, and it is unnerving.

I also went into a location where I felt I wasn’t safe because of the ghosts that still reside there. These souls didn’t want to talk, and they didn’t want me there. I could feel their anger. I respect them and leave the area.

When you are communicating a spirit’s message to a living relative, how are you certain the spirit is who they claim to be?

In this situation, the soul wants to talk with their loved one. There is no reason for another to want to attempt to foul the medium or the client. The loved one will tell me who they are by relationship, physical attributes, how they passed. Memories with the client, their personality or how they spoke. This list is endless and marvelous. I am always surprised how the soul lets the client know without a doubt it is them.

I had to ask DeEtte a follow up question here. I have read of situations where a malevolent entity comes forward pretending to be the requested spirit for their own purposes. Was DeEtte familiar with such occurrences?

Yes, I am, this would in a haunted situation or something closer in that nature. When clients come for readings, the spirit comes from a place love. Those thoughts don’t even come into mind. Loved ones do not want to hurt me or the client. These souls have crossed over.
However, in a haunted space, in which the spirit has not crossed over, they do not follow the same rules. And in this area, yes, an entity may use knowledge of a person to represent something they are not.

 Do you need to be in physical proximity to the living person to receive a message for them?

No. I have an international clientele. I do most readings by telephone or zoom. Technology has been able to broaden the number of people I am able to help.

We so often want to limit our way of believing. We see our loved ones as if they were alive, still in a body. We know the body is no longer there, but with communication with them we have a difficult time wrapping our minds around how it works.

We are energy, and so are souls. When the soul no longer has its body, it is no longer limited by what it can do, or how it can communicate. The love one can be with you in Australia and speaking with me in America, while I am feeling them with me. The soul will tell me of how the room the client is sitting in, things that had just happened prior to our meeting, even questions the client has asked of them prior to the meeting.

How do you respond to those who are skeptical that spirits are real and can be communicated with?

I believe all people should be skeptical. It is healthy and it helps someone to know who they are speaking with it the real deal. The medium should have to prove to you who they are speaking with each time and with each loved one.

When the client is skeptical prior to a reading and then they walk away with tears and a full array of emotions after the reading, then you know you have done your job. The client will be a believer. But I do hope they return to their skepticism with the next reading, even if they are a returning client. A medium is only as good as their last reading.

In researching for this interview, I read an article on LinkedIn which stated, “mediums can raise their vibrations to communicate with extraterrestrials.” What are your thoughts on this?

I have never done this, or at least I haven’t realized I have.

A medium does raise their vibration to connect with souls. We also can talk with different dimensions or timelines. These are things I have done.

If Black Gate readers would like to get in touch and arrange a session with you, how would they do that?

They can contact me at DeEtte@DeEtte.Us or my website www.DeEtte.Us

I have also partnered with The Edge Magazine, with a radio show and soon to be podcast “Spiritual Truth with DeEtte” along with a reading with each edition of the magazine and online.

I can also be found in the new year in collaboration with Tribe 3 Productions, with a blog on their website, along with special appearances with them around the Chicago area.

Facebook – DeEtte Ranae or DeEtte.Us
Instagram – @DeEtteRanae
YouTube – @DeEtte72
TikTok – @DeEtte.Us
LinkedIn – DeEtte Ranae

Many thanks to DeEtte for her time and candor, and for correcting a huge gap in the Goth Chick News archives.