When Amber telephoned, she sounded terrified. She said a curse had been put on her, and the psychic she’d contacted for help wanted $1,500 for three sessions to remove the curse. When I heard that, I almost swallowed my tongue. A moment later, Amber hesitantly admitted that she’d paid the money, visited the swindler (my word, not Amber’s) three times – and yet Amber still felt like bad luck was following her around.

“Amber,” I told her, “there is no such thing as a curse unless you believe it. No one can given you the evil eye unless you believe it. What I think is happening is you believe someone or something has the power over you to make bad things happen, and your belief system is manifesting your fears.”  In other words, I continued, you’re expressing the dark side of the Law of Attraction; and dwelling on your fears makes them more powerful. So, as the saying goes, be careful what you wish for.

“Do this,” I told Amber. “Every time you have a negative thought or a depressing feeling about yourself, simply say, ‘I reject this.’ Take back your power. No one is stronger than you – and you know how you can prove it? The next time you feel powerless, say to yourself, ‘I reject this.’ And remind yourself of your family and friends, the people who love and care about you.”

I didn’t charge Amber a cent for my thoughts. But when I hung up, I remembered the client who had come to me once because another psychic had told him that he had to buy three candles from her at $62 each, and if he burned them, they’d get rid of the curse. Of course, the phony psychic sneakily added, if the curse doesn’t go away, you might need more candles…

The second woman who called me found my name on the Internet. Lillian wanted to know how I felt about “Madame X”, another psychic she had found on the Internet. Personally, I don’t like to compare myself to others; besides, I didn’t know the Madame X that Lillian mentioned.

“Well, if I wanted to see you, how many times would I need to see you?”

After a few moments of pondering, I told Lillian I didn’t understand her question.

“Madame X said I would need to see her five times next week to resolve all my issues.”

My jaw dropped. I didn’t know the extent of Lillian’s “issues,” but there’s a big difference between a psychic and a psychiatrist. I can’t solve deep-seated emotional problems, but spirit guides and spirit people (your loved ones) can give advice and hope. They can offer you support, but it can’t be your crutch. Similarly, if someone wants to see me as a medium – chances are if I bring the spirit of your father to you on Monday, he’s not going to have a lot more to say if you come back to see him on Wednesday. For this reason, I tell my clients who want to return that one reading every six months is fine.

“Y’know,” Lillian said after my explanation, “I thought five sessions was a bit excessive.”

Good girl, I thought. Don’t let anyone tell you what you need. Don’t surrender your power.

So, let’s recap by saying here are the signs that you’re dealing with a hocus-bogus scam artist:

•    The person says you’re cursed, and that only she/he can remove this curse.
•    The person wants a ridiculous amount of money for a session.
•    The person says you need more sessions with them to clear up your problem.
•    The person says you must buy what I call “mystical trinkets.”
•    The person tells you that you have no power.

A quick note: I have given readings where I have suggested to clients that they might want to carry a crystal or a certain stone on their person to help ground them. I have also suggested books for clients to read, like Louise Hay’s You Can Heal Your Life, or Wayne Dyer’s Your Sacred Self. But there’s a world of difference between a $5 stone (I don’t carry anything for sale like this in my office), a $15 book that you can also get out of a library, and $62 candles that, after burning, are supposed to make you feel better. Believe me, I feel plenty great after burning a $2.50 vanilla-scented votive that you can pick up just about anywhere.

If you have any questions or comments on this subject or on any other spiritual matter, please write me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . And please visit me again!