Bio & Training

While I was born for my purpose of being a medium, many life events have ensured that I would remain on my path. The death of my first love, the death of my first child and my own death or NDE in 2011.

The best heart for service is the one wrenched open.

I am a medium. I: was born with the gift of mediumship. I exist simultaneously in the Land of the Dead as well as the land of the living. I literally see both at the same time constantly. Two eyes in two different places. I've always existed half on this side and half on that side, just like my grandmother Earmadean. She also had a profound gift. She was my mentor and teacher since I was five years old, when my gift became obvious, and continues to help me with readings from the other side. She and I both would and will tell you openly that the gift comes from God and serves God, the presence of God has been with us since we were both born. I want to state that you cannot have an ego in this, and my grandma was one of the first ones to teach me that. Humility first. The gift is God's, not ours.

I was raised in a historically documented "People of the Cures" Irish shamanic tradition that is at hundreds of years old. Some people have a hard time believing that when you tell them, but it's true and we have the documentation. The word "cures" denotes special gifts that help people such as my gift as a medium, it also includes dowsing which I also do as well and for others with gifts in the same tradition they may be able to cure specific illnesses as well or talk to animals such as the gift of "horse whispering". We even have a book hundreds of years old in which my ancestor wrote down the symbols because he thought he might pass away even though normally we don't write them down but will wear them. The symbols have been viewed by various experts that believe the symbols are thousands of years old. Online I use the word "pictish" because these are the very symbols that would be tattooed on our bodies that the Romans saw and gave us our nicknames from. I was very fortunate to be raised in something like this. My grandparents were very loving teachers. This would be the same grandmother that I have my gift from, btw. There are many articles about the "People of the Cures" online.

By college I had two very strong old-world craft teachers as well at my grandmothers' encouragement. When I say craft in this case I'm talking about the old fashioned "earth magic" arts of various countries that includes psychic phenomenon like mediumship as well as herbalism and various other skills used to find things for others or serve them in healing. These old country skills have been used for hundreds if not thousands of years in communities all over the world to help families talk to loved ones (through the art of being a medium) dowse (locate through honed instinct) a new well for water or help a sick animal on the farm. Dolores Youngquist and George Shadwick were my two teachers. Dolores was of recent Peruvian descent and tradition and ran an amazing bookstore called Ra Enterprises in Davenport, IA. Both are now passed on. George was of recent Welsh descent and tradition and was a history teacher at at my college. I studied with these two whether I was at home in the Quad Cities or at WIU for about 4 years each. I would also like to mention Selena Fox, one of the most important figures in earth religions in the US as well as a profound human and women's rights activist, gave me some amazing advice before I finished school and remains a friend.

While I use tarot, this is not part of our family tradition. I picked it up from my first partner who was also very gifted psychic named Ruth. She sadly passed away in college. We met because I went to her for a Tarot reading. On a Saturday night the line to see her was a mile long. She taught me what she knew, and after she passed I just kept reading her cards for people. I still use the same kind of cards. Dolores and George helped me hone my Tarot skills after her passing. I've been reading Tarot for people since 1989. That's 36 years!

I am a traditionally trained Sufi. After Ruth's passing I wanted to go into service to help people. Originally I joined the Franciscans through the diocese in the Quad Cities. (Have you ever heard of the author Father McBrien? I'm related to him.) I had been attracted to the idea of selfless service throughout most of my life. While working with the Franciscans was wonderful, I wanted to help people in a more direct way than what was being offered. After following the direction of my teachers I ended up in a Sufi Order. Sufis are Mystics whose goal is to dissolve their egos and join directly with the Divine in order to be of service to humankind. In origin they are a pre Judaic shamanic path and include many traditions. My Sufi teacher was Jewish but also had been part of a Ananda Marga, a famously service oriented order in India, for many years before becoming through training a Sufi Master in the Dayem Order. This lineage is at least three thousand years old and includes the Mevlevi order of Rumi and the whirling dervishes. Our order tends to be very service based with humanitarian projects around the world. We would often serve the poor and the rest of the community service projects, orphanages and farms as well as teaching people how to live sustainably including farming. We don't proselytize. Besides these activities there is intensive spiritual training that includes training in ancient meditation techniques, being spiritually present, techniques in spiritually based therapy, and coaching including using heightened awareness and energy work used for healing as well as reaching different levels of consciousness. This work/training has foundation in the Sufi foundational goal of dissolving our ego to achieve direct spiritual union with the Divine as much as humanly possible so as to be of selfless service to our fellow human beings. I was additionally trained, due to my gift as a medium, in unique spiritual arts including exorcism. I have currently done 10 exorcisms. While I completed the traditional 9 years training I am still involved with my Order and continued education.


In 2011 I had an allergic reaction to azithromycin (Z-Pak) and died in a hospital in Naperville, IL. I had a profound experience in my death. I met God. While I am always here in the land of the living and simultaneously in the land of the Dead, this experience profoundly broadened and enhanced my abilities. Due to that experience my medium abilities are always 'on' 24/7.  Even though I was gone many minutes here I was there much longer. I did not come back the same. There was a miracle when I came back, as I should not have been able to in that circumstance, and I am happy to tell you about it if you ask. I know I am on borrowed time under a specific arrangement, part of which is to help you through my gift of mediumship. 

Additionally, I also have my certification from the Sound Healing Academy run by Tony Nec in the UK and offer sound healing on a weekly basis.

Thanks for reading my bio! 

It's my pleasure to serve you! 
Love and Blessings,

Chris (Isa) McBrien

Galena Illinois' Medium, Psychic and Shaman

303 South Main St. 

Galena, IL

My mediumship and psychic readings parlor is near you in historic Galena, Illinois! Located above the Galena Apothecary, across from the DeSoto House Hotel and right on Main Street near Vinny Vennuchi's Restaurant, Log Cabin Steakhouse and Fried Green Tomatoes right off IL Hwy 20 across from the Galena River and the beautiful historic Home of President and Civil War General Ulysses S Grant! 

Galena IL that is only 20 minutes from nearby Dubuque Iowa, an hour and a half from Davenport Bettendorf Moline and the rest of the Quad Cities as well as an hour and a half from Madison Wisconsin Mount Horeb and only a 35 minute drive from Platteville Wisconsin and Monroe Wisconsin and only an hour away from Rockford Illinois!