Not too long ago, Howie Mandel asked me a question I’ve heard in different ways over the years: “Matt, who’s better at giving readings, you or your mom?”
I had to give him the honest answer: I can’t compare us. My mom, Angela, and I have completely different gifts.
It’s a fair question. You might picture us sitting at the same table, sharing the same abilities, just approaching a reading in our own styles. But that isn’t how it works. The way Spirit communicates with me is different from the way my mom receives information. We bring different strengths to a reading, and that’s exactly why people are always curious about seeing us work together.
“My mom and I don’t have competing gifts. We have different ways of receiving.”
How Spirit Communicates With Me
When I give a mediumship reading, spirit comes to me in a few specific ways. I hear their name. I feel their presence. And they communicate with me through symbols.
In a reading, spirit will show me how they died, because they want their loved ones to know they didn’t suffer. They show me memories and moments from their life, the fishing trips, the Sunday dinners, the joke they told at every holiday table. And they show me the ways they have healed on the Other Side.
A symbol is like a small piece of a larger picture. A pair of wings, a birthday cake, a hospital hallway. I don’t always know what it means right away, but the person in front of me does, and that’s when the gasp happens. That’s when they know it’s really them.
When you’re grieving, those personal details matter more than anything. A shared memory, a familiar name, or a sign that feels unmistakably connected to your loved one reminds you that your relationship didn’t end. It changed.
That’s my work as a medium: spirit speaks, I listen, and I deliver exactly what comes through.
The Way My Mom Reads Is Different
My mom’s gifts developed in their own way. She gets her information from handmade tarot cards that my grandmother made with her own hands, and from looking into tea leaves and coffee grounds, where symbols appear to her like pictures forming in the clouds.
And here’s where it gets really interesting. As she reads, names appear to her. Symbols appear. She can even describe what your loved ones look like, their features, their presence, down to details she couldn’t possibly know.
While I communicate with the other side, my mom is also able to get predictions. Insight into what may lie ahead. That’s a gift I don’t have, and I say that with total peace, because we weren’t meant to have the same gifts.
My grandmother’s cards are part of a family story that reaches back before my own work began. My mom grew up around psychic gatherings, watching her mother read cards and seeing people respond to the impressions she shared. In time, Angela developed her own connection to the cards, tea leaves, coffee grounds, and the symbols that show themselves to her.
You can learn more about Angela and her approach to psychic readings. Her gifts are her own, just as my mediumship is mine.
So, Who’s Better?
When that man asked me to choose, I understood what he was really wondering: Who should I see for a reading? Who will give me what I need?
The answer depends on what you’re looking for. If you want a mediumship reading focused on communication with a loved one in Spirit, that’s the work I do. If you’re looking for insight through tarot, tea leaves, or coffee grounds, my mom has her own beautiful way of working with those symbols.
Neither of us is a better version of the other. We’re different.
Think of it this way: two people can care deeply about helping you and still have different ways of doing it. One may receive a name or a memory through mediumship. Another may notice a symbol in a card or a pattern in a cup. The tools and impressions differ, but both can offer a meaningful experience.
And if you’ve ever wondered whether a reading has to look a certain way to be real or helpful, don’t worry. There isn’t one single way for someone to receive insight. What matters is approaching the experience with an open mind and finding the kind of guidance that feels right for you.
Why People Ask Us to Read Together
People often ask whether my mom and I would ever give readings together. The answer is yes. We do it once a year, and it gives people the chance to experience our gifts side by side.
When we share a reading event, you can see how different approaches can complement one another. I focus on mediumship and messages from loved ones in Spirit. Angela works with her psychic gifts and the symbols she receives through her tools.
It isn’t about one of us trying to outdo the other. We each bring our own perspective, and that’s what makes the experience special. You get to see two different ways of working in one event.
I love that people are curious about this. It reminds me that there is no one-size-fits-all path to spiritual connection. You may be drawn to mediumship, to symbolic readings, or to seeing both approaches together. Trust what speaks to you.
Join Us for Our Once-a-Year Event
My mom and I are hosting our once-a-year dual mediumship event on Friday, October 30 at 8:00 PM EST. We’ll be giving readings side by side for two hours, my mediumship and her psychic insight and divination, all live. You can join us from anywhere.
It’s almost sold out, so if you’ve ever wanted to experience both of our gifts in one room, this is the night. Seats are nearly gone.
Reserve your spot for the dual mediumship reading with Matt and Angela.
So, who’s better at readings, me or my mom? The honest answer is that we have different gifts. And sometimes, the best way to understand that is to experience them together.
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