Your Psychic Self

by Melissa Alvarez

  How to Recognize a Fraudulent Psychic

  There aren’t many things on this earth that get me upset because I believe we all have our own paths to follow and lessons to learn. I try to remain balanced and calm in my approach to life. However, sometimes, as hard as I try, situations can just crawl right up under my skin until I have to address them.

  Once, while doing research online, I ran across a “cry for help” on a random message board. Without revealing the details, I’ll give you an overview of the situation. A person was asking how they could help a family member who was being scammed by a psychic. This psychic was supposedly “curing” the family member of a major disease (that there isn’t a medical cure for yet) and at the same time was trying to manage the woman’s finances. A week prior to this incident, I heard of another similar situation where someone had lost five thousand dollars to a psychic and I saw on the news that a lady had given a psychic three hundred thousand dollars. That same week, I received a spam e-mail from a psychic saying she had information that I must claim within the next week by ordering a reading with her.

  It’s easy to get caught up in someone’s hype when they are playing on your emotions, insecurities, and fears, but you have to be aware of what’s going on around you and understand that, unfortunately, not everyone in this world is a good person with good intentions. Ultimately, you are responsible for your own life; while people can help and guide you, they can’t fix all of your problems for you. If they did, how would you ever learn the life lessons that you came here to learn? You can’t be scammed if you’re aware that there are scammers out there and know how they work. If you’ve ordered a reading and the psychic just keeps saying you need more and more readings, that is a clear sign that they’re not a legitimate, ethical psychic. Don’t give them your money because taking it is their ultimate goal, not helping you. If they threaten you, contact the police.

  It really saddens me when people take advantage of others this way, regardless of career. Don’t let your desperation make you do things that you’d never do otherwise or trust people whom your gut is telling you to steer clear of. Listen to your own intuition.

  You should never pay exorbitant amounts of money to someone who makes great claims that they can fix all of your problems. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Be skeptical, and look for logical reasons for what the psychic says. Are they reading your body language? Are they asking you leading questions?

  When getting an intuitive reading, there are certain responsibilities that both parties have in order to make sure you’re receiving a good reading and aren’t being ripped off. If you’re going in for a reading, there are several things that you should do prior to handing over your hard-earned cash; additionally, there are things that you should never do. Let’s take a look at them:

  Always:

  1.Read the intuitive’s website from top to bottom. Ask questions about anything that is unclear. If they can’t give you a clear answer without telling you that you need to order first, don’t order from them.

  2.Make sure the intuitive is upfront about their ethical practices.

  3.Conduct an Internet search on the person. Look for any negativity about their site name or about them as an individual. If you find a lot of complaints, don’t order from them. If you only find a couple, still consider the person as a potential intuitive to read for you because no intuitive is 100 percent accurate all of the time.

  4.Ask for references. The intuitive should be able to put you in contact with someone whom they’ve read before so you can talk to them one-on-one.

  5.If you’re still not sure, ask if they will give you a sample reading, or buy a one-question reading and

  see what kind of answer you get before ordering a more expensive reading. If the intuitive is truly trying to help others, they shouldn’t have a problem with giving you a sample first. But don’t just ask for a sample to get a free reading. That’s not fair to the intuitive either because they are giving you their time.

  6.Ask the psychic what happens if they are wrong. Will they give a refund, even if they have a no-refund policy? Find out what the refund policy is before you order.

  7.Are the psychic’s rates reasonable or are you paying

  a gazillion dollars for a thirty-minute telephone reading or a one-hundred-word e-mail reading?

  There shouldn’t be a limit placed on the reading,

  in my opinion. They should give you all of the impressions that they receive, even if it’s more than what the reading you ordered covers. Sometimes

  you’ll actually get a lot more than you paid for.

  Never:

  1.Don’t be naïve when you go into a reading. Be skeptical until you see the kind of reading delivered to you.

  2.Don’t answer leading questions. An intuitive shouldn’t have to ask you questions. If they do, don’t answer unless it’s a simple yes or no that lets the intuitive know that what they said was correct. If you feel uncomfortable even giving that much, just tell them you don’t want to say anything until the end. They should be fine with that. Let them give you a reading, rather than gleaning information from your answers

  so that they’re just saying what they think you want

  to hear. When a psychic is working off of your feedback, it is called a “cold reading” and isn’t

  really using psychic abilities.

  3.Don’t go into a reading expecting answers to all your problems. No psychic is 100 percent accurate, so don’t necessarily expect to receive all the information you seek.

  4.Don’t believe that an intuitive is going to bring back your lost loves, cure diseases, or fix everything in your life if you pay them enough money. It’s NOT going to happen. People who are telling you that they can do these things aren’t being honest with you or with themselves.

  5.Do not substitute a reading with an intuitive for a visit to your doctor. Go to the doctor. They’re trained medical professionals and they can help you with your health problems.

  6.Do not feel pressured by an intuitive. If they ever ask you to buy another reading (or buy a first reading) before they’ll give information that they’ve already received for you, walk away. If the information was given to them, it was for a reason and they should relay it to you, whether or not you buy anything from them. When you see this happening, it’s just the intuitive trying to make money. In my opinion, this is wrong.

  7.Never, ever let an intuitive make any financial decisions for you.

  8.Never, ever let an intuitive make health decisions

  for you.

  9.Never, ever let an intuitive have any involvement with your children.

  10.Take everything that the intuitive tells you with a grain of salt. Intuitives aren’t all-knowing. They make mistakes and misinterpret information even if they aren’t frauds. They’re only human.

  11.When it comes right down to it, it’s all about ethics. Not everyone believes in intuitive abilities or the paranormal and it’s a very controversial topic. It’s hard to believe until you’ve experienced it firsthand, and even then it can be difficult. It is good to be somewhat skeptical to protect yourself from people who only want to take advantage of your situation.

  Remember that while others can offer guidance, you (and only you) have the ultimate control over your life and destiny. Do not expect or ask a psychic to make decisions for you—that’s not their place. It’s up to you to make any final decisions regarding issues in your life. The decisions you make will allow you to grow on your spiritual path. Draw strength from positivity and light instead of delving into negativity and darkness. It’s your life; live it to the fullest. People can only take advantage of you if you allow them to take advantage of you. Don’t allow it. Be firm in your resolve; pay attention to what is going on around you. Be a participant in your life, not just an observer. Never allow yourself to be victimized by
others. Be strong and powerful, and make educated choices by seeking answers before agreeing to anything.

  900 Lines

  Everyone has the right to an accurate reading at an affordable price by a reputable psychic who is centered and confident with their abilities. In my opinion, 900 numbers that charge you by the minute are only out for your money. The majority of people that I know appreciate being able to obtain accurate insight from a reputable source without paying an arm and a leg for their reading.

  You’ve all heard about them; you may have even called them yourself (I have)—psychic hotlines whose phone number goes something like 1-900-***-****. While this is a profitable business, it’s one that I don’t suggest that you use. Why? Because most of the people working there are reading from a script, keeping you on the phone longer than necessary and running up a tremendous bill to ensure profit in their pockets and a big phone bill for you. Now, that said, please notice that I didn’t say all of the people working there read from a script. I do know a few people who worked for these types of businesses who were truly intuitive and ethical and who worked there to earn extra money so they could make ends meet. But, in my overall experience, speaking of the 900-industry on the whole, this usually isn’t the case.

  Recently, a member of my family obtained a new job in a sales call center. At that job was another newly hired person who had just left a job as a “psychic” with one of these 900 facilities. He told my family member all about the book that he had to read from. They had to memorize different scenarios and then keep the person talking and on the phone so they could look up anything that they hadn’t memorized yet. There was a specific answer that they were to give for specific situations. The person who worked there said the book was a huge training manual that they were to read from without sounding like they were reading. This really makes me mad because they’re playing with people looking for help for pain and suffering in their lives, and reading suggestions from a book when the person is looking for a true intuitive reading is despicable and thieving, in my opinion.

  Remember that no living person or spirit can affect you negatively unless you allow them to do so. Be strong; be sure of yourself and your abilities, and of your positive spiritual nature. Do not let fear or negativity become a large part of your life. When negative things happen, face them, resolve them, and move on. Dwelling on them only gives them your energy and the power to bring you down. Everything in life happens for a reason, and we all have lessons to learn. Let your lessons come, learn from them, and move on. You can’t change the past, but you can always change your future.

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  Ten

  Where Do You

  Go from Here?

  Hopefully you’ve learned to recognize, develop, and embrace your intuitive abilities by reading this book. But where do you go from here? You keep reading, learning, and incorporating all that you’ve learned. I’ve listed some books that may interest you in the recommended reading list at the end of this book. Becoming spiritually enlightened is a lifelong journey. I truly appreciate that you chose to take a few steps of your journey with me.

  Ethics and Responsibilities

  Now that you’ve arrived at the end of this book, it is time to think about how all of this applies to you. Have you recognized abilities within yourself that you didn’t realize you had? I hope so! Have you thought about how you will use these abilities? Each and every ability you have enables you to learn and grow spiritually. Here are a few options to consider as you decide how you will continue to grow.

  Some of you may only want to use your abilities for yourself, to help you in life and on your spiritual path. Others of you may decide that you would like to use your abilities to do readings for your friends and family. Or, you may decide that you have developed your abilities to the point that you would like to do professional readings for the general public. Any of these choices may be the right one for you based on how you feel about your abilities and where you are on your spiritual path. You may start out only using your abilities for yourself, but in a few years you may be at the point where you’re ready to do professional readings.

  Whichever path you choose, there is one thing to keep in mind: always be ethical, honest, and responsible in your dealings with others and with yourself. Treat others the way you’d like to be treated, and be honest and open, especially if you’re working with the general public. Be transparent; help others along the way by giving more than you’re receiving, because in doing this, not only are you helping someone else, you’re making great strides along your own spiritual path.

  The Challenges and Joys of

  Working as a Professional Intuitive

  Working as a professional intuitive can be both an inspiration and a challenge. Let’s look at the challenges first. There are days when you may encounter people who are blocking you when they request a reading, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and it is more difficult doing a reading when your customer is blocking you than if a customer is open to your reading. There are other times you may encounter someone who has been scammed by an intuitive who has put fear in their heart, and it will be your job to alleviate this fear and set their hearts at ease so that they are no longer afraid. Sometimes you may see loss or things that are difficult to see and that you might not want to know about, but you’re being shown the information for a reason. As a professional intuitive, you have to learn how to deal with the situations that arise during a reading and deliver the information in a tactful, caring manner.

  Not everything about being a professional intuitive is a challenge, though. It is the joy received that makes all of the challenges worthwhile—the joy in knowing your insights have been helpful to someone, that you’ve made a difference in their lives, that you’ve helped them through a difficult time. When you see a pregnancy for someone who has been trying but hasn’t gotten pregnant yet and you get a vision of a little girl, and then a year later the mother sends you a picture of the child who looks exactly as you envisioned her—well, that is a precious gift and one of the great joys of this line of work. When you can help someone release their fears through understanding a past life, it is miraculous. When something you say connects to someone on a soul level, enabling them to grow spiritually and see themselves as their core being—there are no words to express how fulfilling that is. When someone’s pet runs off and you give them a direction in which to look, then they e-mail you back to say they found the pet in that direction, well, these are some of the reasons that I keep doing this work. And these are only some of the joys which truly abound as you work as a professional intuitive, helping others realize their fullest potential as the spiritual being they are at their true soul essence.

  Remember that as you walk this path of enlightenment, you do not walk it alone.

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  Recommended Reading List

  Akashic Records

  Insightful and enlightening, a must for your personal library—

  Todeschi, Kevin J. Edgar Cayce on the Akashic Records: The Book of Life. Virginia Beach,VA: A.R.E. Press, 1998.

  Everyone accesses the Akashic Records differently. This book is an excellent guide for those who want to learn how to read the records—

  Howe, Linda. How to Read the Akashic Records: Accessing the Archive of the Soul and Its Journey. Boulder, CO: Sounds True, 2010.

  Angels

  A must-have reference book for the meanings of angel numbers when you encounter them in your life—

  Virtue, Doreen. Angel Numbers 101: The Meaning of 111, 123, 444, and Other Number Sequences. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, 2008.

  An excellent resource about connecting with the angels and also how to work with them in your own life—

  Steiger, Brad. The Big Book of Angels: Angelic Encounters, Expert Answers, Listening to and Working with Your Guardian Angel. New York: Rodale, 2002.

  Animal Communication/Animal Tot
ems

  Not only does this book teach you how to communicate

  telepathically with your animals, but it also teaches you

  how to use Reiki to help in healing them—

  Murray, Steve. Animal Psychic Communication Plus Reiki Pet Healing.

  Las Vegas, NV: Mind and Body Productions, 2009.

  Lists and details a wide variety of animal guides and totems—

  Farmer, Steven D. Animal Spirit Guides: An Easy-to-Use Handbook for Identifying and Understanding Your Power Animals and Animal Spirit Helpers. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, 2006.

  Astral Projection/Astral Travel

  Practical advice and exercises that teach you to visit the astral plane—

  Bruce, Robert, and Brian Mercer. Mastering Astral Projection: 90-day Guide to Out-of-Body Experience. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Worldwide, 2004.

  Fascinating, down-to-earth guide that teaches how to astral travel—

  Buhlman, William. Adventures Beyond the Body: How to Experience

  Out-of-Body Travel. New York: HarperCollins, 1996.

  Auras

  Excellent advice on energy and the aura—

  Ambrose, Kala. The Awakened Aura: Experiencing the Evolution of Your Energy Body. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Worldwide, 2011.

  A good guide that discusses the colors associated with auras and their meanings. This book was actually written by Cayce himself and isn’t very long, only about twenty pages, but full of information—

  Cayce, Edgar. Auras: An Essay on the Meaning of Colors. Virginia Beach, VA: A.R.E. Press, 1973.

  An excellent how-to guide that is great for beginners and

  experienced aura readers. Step by step instructions that will

  guide you to seeing the auras of others—

  Andrews, Ted. How to See and Read the Aura. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Worldwide, 2006.