From glam to ghosts, this medium has a spellbinding second act

"I've always had these abilities," he shares calmly. "I didn't realize I was different until I was older." His early experiences with the paranormal happened as a kid while staying at his grandmother's house. "I would have my friends in spirit that I thought at the time were just my imaginary friends [at] her home." In his twenties, the weight of his abilities became apparent. "I started to understand that this wasn't just empathy or sensitivity," he explains. "It was something beyond myself, a connection to energies both seen and unseen."

Before becoming a full-time psychic medium, Travis spent 17 years in the beauty industry, an experience he describes as both creatively fulfilling and spiritually stifling. "The beauty industry taught me a lot about aesthetics and human nature," he reflects. "But it also made me realize there was something deeper I needed to explore."

That deeper exploration led him to tarot cards, a tool he initially used to channel his abilities. "I used to drink, and when I did, all of my abilities would come online," he laughs, recounting how friends would eagerly line up for impromptu readings after a night out. "I'd pull out the cards and say, 'Who wants a reading?' It became a party trick but was also the beginning of something more profound."

Like so many of us during the pandemic, Travis found himself at a crossroads. He began his alcohol-free journey, left his beauty career, dove into TikTok, and began posting readings that quickly garnered attention. "I never thought this would be a career," he admits. "But people started reaching out for private readings, and suddenly, I was doing this full-time."

Being a psychic medium is not without its challenges. From skeptics who dismiss his work as mere fantasy to those who fear the supernatural, Travis faces his fair share of criticism. Yet, his Midwest upbringing as a gay man prepared him well. "The same people who said I was going to hell for being gay are the ones who say my work is evil," he says. "It's all fear-based, and I've learned I'm not here to change minds."

With thousands of readings, he's witnessed moments that defy logic and touch the soul. He recounts a story of a woman who lost both her parents and wanted to hear them say "hello" one more time. "And, out of nowhere, my Alexa device chimed in from the other room, saying hello.' Twice." While movies may depict this as the beginning of scary activities, Holp sees this as a moment of endearing connection. "It was one of those moments that even I can't fully explain," he says as his eyes light up. "But it was a beautiful confirmation that our loved ones are always around."

When asked about misconceptions about his work, Travis quickly points out that not all psychics and mediums operate the same way. "We're not magic eight balls," he laughs. "Every psychic medium has their specialty, much like doctors. We're here to help people release grief, shame, and fear, to live [in alignment] with who they truly are." He shared his unique process of receiving impressions, which involves seeing, hearing, and feeling. Sometimes, they communicate through signs, symbols, pictures, and dates.

Admittedly, I'm not quite skeptical regarding mediums, but I am never truly open to mediumships. Nevertheless, I was happy to accept Holp's offer of a session.

Identifying other relations who had passed on, including myrecently departed grandfather and accurately referencing how he died), Travisd also lent his craft to my future: being open to a move and encouraging me to jot down the ideal qualities I want in a partner before opening my heart to one. He suggested an openness to exploring my potential in advocacy, philanthropy, and possibly writing a book. These and other moments were fascinating, though there was some confusion during the session. I don't know the birthdays of everyone on my mother's extensive side, and I speak with a handful of individuals on my father's.

But one part of the session has stuck with me to this day.

Travis sensed a maternal figure "all up in [my] business," whose passing was something related "with the chest." He also said the spirit wanted to acknowledge a connection with her name. "I love that she's just wanting to honor that." No one outside of my family knew Elisabeth's cause of death. In 2013, my maternal grandmother died of a heart attack in New York City as she tried to catch a train back upstate. A few years later, I began my transitioning, and in 2021, I legally changed my name. Among my new middle names was Elisabeth, in her honor.

Not even my relatives know that.

I've sometimes felt her energy close in moments of happiness and sorrow. After the session, I was reassured of the past, determined for the present, and hopeful for my future.

As for his, Travis has big plans: live shows, a potential tour, and even a book in the works. "I'm excited about where this journey is taking me," he affirms. "I want to continue sharing my light. There's so much more to come."

The gloom of autumn and Halloween amplifies how we perceive this time when the lines between the seen and unseen are blurred. In a world that sometimes feels connected and distant, Travis Holp is a guide to the other side and the deepest parts of ourselves. After all, the best part of our journey is searching within ourselves as much as around us.

Always connecting, understanding – and finding the magic of life along the way.

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