About Horoscopes and Psychics: "Are They Real?" and Other Frequently Asked Questions
Horoscope Review Answers FAQs About Real Psychics, True Readings, Money-Back Guarantees, "Certified" Psychics, and More
Q: Sylvia, are you psychic?
A. No. I am an astrologer and a Tarot card reader.
Q: Do you do readings?
A. No. I prefer to write articles to dispel misinformation and misunderstandings about astrology, Tarot, and psychic readings.
Q: How can I get a true reading?
A. Contact a local astrologer or Tarot reader you can meet in person. Ask around at (in this order) health-food stores, New-Age supply stores, spas, salons, coffee shops or tearooms, and hotels. Also ask older females for recommendations; most of us have usually had readings done. A true professional astrologer or card reader will gladly give you references.
I also collected a list of real astrologers who will answer a single question for you, for a price; here is the link. Read the article carefully. It is not a complete list, but it is a start. You won't find real psychics online, but there are real astrologers online.
Q: Why are you so critical of Tupak, Jenna, Tara, Norah, Padre and others? They are not illegal businesses.
A: These Internet "psychics" present themselves as human individuals but are in fact computers or "bots" that send all buyers the same "readings." This is not illegal but it can be tragic for troubled people who think they are paying for real answers. People often don't think to first Google the names of these "astral advisers." Or they don't read the small-print disclaimers that say the readings are "for entertainment only."
Q. A "psychic adviser" is making unauthorized charges on my credit card. What should I do?
A. Call your credit card company immediately. Dispute the charge. In some cases you might have to cancel your card and get one with different numbers. Then call the psychic advisor 100 times if you have to, to demand you be taken off their list.
Q. I feel scammed by an online psychic. How do I get my money back?
A. Read "How to Get Refunds from Psychic Scammers and Bots." If it's been less than 30 days, your odds of getting a refund are good.
Q. Tell me who is a real online psychic.
A. There are no real online psychics. I believe true psychics exist, but are very rare, maybe one in a hundred million. Those who go into business (not all of them do) don't need to advertise because they are already mobbed by clients attracted by word of mouth.
Q: Tell me who is a real psychic.
A. I honestly don't know any, or I would be going to him or her. Until I find one, I use Tarot or pay a card reader. Every year near my birthday (solar return) I see a local professional astrologer for a forecast; it costs $95. Expect to pay for any service by a genuine professional.
Q. What about the psychics the police hire to solve murders or kidnappings?
A. I don't know a single proven instance of a psychic whose help has actually solved a crime. But I do know that psychics have told parents their kidnapped children were dead when they weren't. Even real and honorable psychics aren't always correct.
Sylvia's Bestseller
Authentic Horoscopes, Free
Q. Where can I get a real horoscope?
A. It is best to find a local astrologer you can meet in person who will give you references or credentials. I also wrote an article listing some professional online astrologers who will answer individual questions for a price. It's not a complete list, but it's a start.
Q. Where can I get a real horoscope or Tarot reading -- free?
A. You can get a very decent, computerized beginner-type birth chart and interpretation by inputting your birth information at the site alabe.com. Then use a book like Astrology for Yourself to interpret your own birth chart more deeply. The electronic Tarot apps are fun, but if you want real answers, get a real reading from an experienced human reader.
No real astrologer or Tarot reader or clairvoyant/psychic works for free. They have bills to pay just as you do. A one-hour horoscope consultation costs $100-$200. The Tarot readers I know charge from $20 to $60 per session.
Q. The astral adviser said I will miss my lucky transit if I don't act now. How true is that?
A. In astrology there is no such thing as just one chance to do well or to do right. And no real astrologer will ever tell you what you "must" do.
Q. A psychic wants to sell me a magic spell or a magic bracelet. Will it work?
A. No. If you believe in it, it might be self-fulfilling.
Q. Here is my birthday: mm/dd/yyyy. Tell me my future.
A. I don't do readings, but if I did I would also need your birth time and place. And nobody who does real charts does them for free. I also want to point out that horoscopes and planets do not control your life or destiny. They are like the weather; you decide how you're going to handle the situation you're given.
Q. Are phone psychics true? Their ad says they are certified.
A. I have called many phone psychics and consider them entertainment only. There is no official certification test for psychics. The phone-psychic company may have its own tests, but we don't know what they are. Many online "psychics" are in fact reading Tarot cards and I would approve of that if they were honest and said so. In any case I think that the distance between provider and caller, the electromagnetic interference caused by the phone or computer, and the pressure of time and money, will diminish the accuracy of any reading done by computer or phone.
Q. Is "so and so" real or fake?
A: Check my articles to see if I've written about him or her. I haven't yet reviewed every astrologer or psychic hotline, so Google the name to find his or her reputation.
Q. What horoscopes do you read?
A. The Sun-sign horoscopes I consult every day are:
- Sally Brompton's in The New York Post and
- the daily horoscope on Ganeshaspeaks.com.
- I trust the daily horoscopes by Rick Levine at Tarot.com and have their free app on my smartphone.
- For weekly horoscopes I like astrologers Daniel "Whelland" Dowd of Buffalo, NY and Deborah Browning.
- For monthly horoscopes I visit Susan Miller's long and luscious readings at Astrologyzone.com.
- There are other real online astrologers I could name: Rob Tillett of Australia and Eugenia Last of Canada, and more. All these horoscopes are free to read, although most of these astrologers also offer paid services.
Q. What sign are you?
A. I'm an Aquarius with Scorpio rising and a Scorpio Moon.