We all know what is considered the world’s oldest profession, but how about the world’s second?

Since the beginning of wo/man, there have been individuals that that have been able to intuit the past, present and future through means other than their five obvious senses and the ordinary bind of perceived reality. Known by many different titles such as Shaman, Medicine Woman, or Seer, those that have been able to attain information about another individual, their society and the universe by “other worldly” means, have often times been held in high esteem within their communities and culture.

Conversely, particularly in the present day, those with many of the same gifts as the latter day esteemed Shaman or Seer, have been held on the outer fringes of society and considered quacks at best and charlatans at worst.

How have present day psychics, mediums, empaths and intuitives caught such a bad rap? How has the world’s second oldest profession progressed from high esteem to being ridiculed and often feared?

The answer is simple.

As in all professions, there are the good and the bad and the realm of spiritual readings is no exception. There are readers who are honest and highly ethical and look only to the best interest of their client, and there are those that will take one for a fast ride given a half a second to do so.

People often come for a reading when things are going less than perfect in their lives. They are often times looking for someone to help them through a rough period, offer some insight as to what may lay ahead and guidance as to what path would be best to take at the present juncture. Less than ethical readers take this opportunity to place the client in a position of feeling that they may need a “spiritual cleansing” to remove the perceived “negativity” in their lives before things will improve, or a less than ethical reader may suggest spells to bring your lover back, both usually at an exorbitant cost to the client. The client, in return, usually receives absolutely nothing but a lot of frustration, heartache and deleted bank account.

The following are some regal red flags that you can use to determine whether a psychic is less than ethical and not in your best interest:

They ask many questions and then regurgitate that information back to you within your reading. Many readers will ask a client’s name and birth date as this is how many readers tune into your energy, and by the same token, many readers do not ask for this information. Either way, it is OK. It is also permissible for a reader to ask why you have come and may ask for a little clarification regarding the issue. Again, OK. The problem arises when the “advisor” relies on you giving the entire story and then parrots it back to you in a clever way to imply some sort of connection. Remember, a reader should be telling you things regarding your situation, not the other way around.

Steer clear of an advisor who tells you that there are certain negativities around you, or a curse that is interfering with your life, and as a result, causing you to experience blockages and “bad luck”. They may make your situation sound so dire, and the only thing that will remove the block and get you on the path to normalcy and removal of said “bad luck” is a high priced cleansing that will usually involve high priced supplies such as candles and incense along with the price of the ritual.

While I would agree that there are times in our lives that seem more negative than others and we may experience what could be perceived as a string of “bad luck”, it is simply energy. And energy can be transformed many times with a simple shift of thought and attitude, eradicating the negativity with a shift to the positive. There are also simple rituals that one can do themselves to clear negative energies, and they are no more costly than a box of sea salt from your grocer and a tub of water. (Please see our articles section at www.psychic-wisdom.net for more information regarding eradication of negative energies).

With online chat readings where the reading is timed per minute, steer clear of any reader who asks you to state your question and then tells you that he or she must go and meditate, and will come back with your answer, all the while the clock is ticking. If a reader needs to meditate to get clear on your situation and give a clear and precise reading, that is fair enough, but not while you are paying for it. A reader that needs to meditate for any time more than 30 seconds or more, should schedule a time for your to come back to their reading room. You should pay only for their time in terms of them answering your question, not for the means of them getting their answers. This includes a reader asking you to hire and then gathering your information and shuffling the cards or throwing the runes (assuming that they are a reader that utilizes them in your reading) all on your dime. Your information should be gathered, the cards or runes shuffled and thrown and your reader should be ready to start the formal reading BEFORE you hit that hire button.

The advisor who suggests, or worse yet, tells you that you must come to them on a daily basis regarding your situation. This is bull shite just plain and simple, and is meant to foster reliance on the reader and subsequently addiction to psychic readings and the advisor. There are many readers that suggest that you should not have a reading more than once within a six month (at the most) or three month (at the least) period, I do not necessarily subscribe to that theory. At times people go through extremely trying situations and need the extra support and guidance of their advisor, and speaking with them more often than a 1-3 month period is understandable and even desirable. The problem arises when a less than ethical psychic convinces, or tries to convince, their client that repeated readings are necessary, even on a daily basis. A good reader will work with their client to guide them and help them come to a place wherein the client is self reliant regarding their situation and is able to work through the difficult time with strength and grace in as few sessions as possible.

As with the above, another red flag is when a reader suggests that you read with them and them only. While I DO NOT suggest jumping from reader to reader as this only fosters confusion and possibly psychic addiction, I do suggest that it is entirely appropriate for a client to get a confirmation with another reader or two. Any psychic that tells you that only THEIR impressions or information is valid, is after one thing, and that is to champion dependence on them; please beware. By the same token, however, once you do make a solid and healthy connection with an advisor, you may find that there is no real reason to seek other out. That, of course, is fine and is up to you. The key word being a healthy relationship in which the advisor has your best interests at heart in all areas.

You may find an entire article in our aforementioned articles section regarding what a spell is and a spell is not, so I urge you to read same. In the meantime, it is a red flag, just like the removal of a “curse” if a reader suggests spell work for and to you without your expressly desiring that service. Furthermore, if an advisor charges a large fee for their spell work and/or continues to require monies or other tangible items to strengthen the spell, RUN. They are most likely not even an experienced caster and certainly does not have your best interest at heart, particularly when offered a guarantee. While I would agree that experienced and seasoned spell casters and readers should be paid fairly for their time, expertise and energies, the cost for spell work should not be exorbitant. No unusual and exotic materials are required for spell work and any reader/caster that tells you otherwise is only taking you on a ride for your money.

To that end, never Western Union monies to anyone doing spiritual work. This too is a red flag. If you pay through Western Union, there is absolutely NO recourse should you find yourself scammed. A wise rule of thumb is to check with your credit card company regarding their terms of service for refunds. Usually, there is some sort of recourse that one can take should they find themselves scammed by a reader or spell caster through your credit card company.

Lastly, please remember that even a good psychic reader cannot “see” everything and there may not be a connection with every reader to every client. A ethical reader will tell you if there is no connection and will not charge you. An unethical/scam reader will read the situation no matter what and feed you what you want to hear all the while trying to keep you on the line or in the chat for as long as they can. Always make sure that there is a connection before you pay your reader!

I would like to emphasise that there are many, many solid and ethical psychics readers on the internet as well as in person and having a reading can be a rewarding, enlightening and empowering experience. It is my wish that, armed with the foregoing, you should be able to seek out and find a reader or readers with whom you resonate and whom can help assist you on your journey through this earth plane.

Peace and good Peeps!