Are psychics the new therapists? Anecdotal evidence suggests that the numbers of people (mainly women) seeking out the guidance of psychics is on the rise. Karina Machado caught up with visiting US psychic Char Margolis, 55, author of Questions from Earth, Answers from Heaven.
What is a psychic intuitive? Is that different to a psychic?
Well, my goal is to teach people to listen to their intuition because the future could change at any moment, at any second, because of one person's choice or decision. The universe will tip us off when we're in the moment and we trust that instinct.
So why did you decide to write this book?
I decided to write it because I felt it was something I was supposed to do and when I was done I had this peace of mind that I'd never felt in my whole life, it's like I left a legacy that people could learn from for eternity. My feeling is that the book has wisdom in it that can help people help themselves.
You had your first psychic experience when you were 2, when did you actually begin to help people and do readings?
When I was in college. I got a degree in secondary education, my major was speech, my minor was English and during that time I met people who were involved in psychic things and I was obsessed with learning about it. I think part of it was because they were talking to ghosts and spirits and I was scared of going to bed alone and to this day, I have to close the closet door, and so it's like I think I was trying to conquer my fear as well. I read for somebody when I was in college and I was really good and I had an epiphany, I thought 'oh my god, this is what I'm supposed to do, this is my journey!' I always knew I had to do something special in my life and this is what it is, I knew it! And I've been relentless getting the work out.
What are the questions that people most frequently ask?
People want to know about love, about their finances, about a loved one who's passed over and try to connect with them.
You have the ability to be able to read people at any time, any place. What's the most unusual situation in which you've read?
I walked into a restaurant once and I'd looked across the room and there was a woman and I saw smoke coming out of her throat and I looked again and there wasn't any smoke and I was compelled to go up to her, and I rarely go up to people. I said, 'Hi, my name's Char, I'm a psychic, and I don't know if you believe in this or not but I just have to tell you something: your grandmother's worried that you're going to get throat cancer and I don't want to scare you but I'm compelled to tell you this.' She said, 'It's really strange you came up to me,' and she had the newspaper in front of her, and she said I was just going through the classified ads looking for a psychic, see I just circled the psychic's name. She had it right there, circled.
Are we all psychic to a certain degree?
Everybody is. These people who think they're the only ones who are psychic and who put themselves on pedestals are full of it. I believe that everybody has a sixth sense, it's just learning to develop it and nurture it and use it.
What are the top three ways for us to begin doing that?
No. 1 is you have to know you're psychic, you can't just believe it because in belief there's doubt-knowing means certainty-and you have to have what I call the four Cs: courage, confidence, commitment and then you'll conquer it. And to trust your gut feeling, trust the first thought that comes to you. When I do my workshops I literally have people reading like mad, it's amazing. It freaks me out, but it's great.
You say you frequently have to remind your clients that just because someone's dead doesn't mean they'll give you good advice. Why is it so important to remember this?
Because spirits are like friends; they can give you good advice or bad advice.
What are the warning signs of a psychic that isn't all they claim to be?
If you see somebody walking around with a huge ego, ego means Edging God Out, be careful of them.
You've helped the police and the FBI, is there a case you're most proud of?
Years ago, Dean Martin's son was missing, and the family called Shirley Maclaine's office and her office referred me. He was missing for five days and I pointed to where he was and within two hours they found him. The captain called me that night and said 'you made a lot of sceptics into believers.'
You're good friends with John Edwards, is that right?
Yes, I was on his show in New York a couple of weeks ago. [laughs] I'll show you. [pulls out her Blackberry and shows me all the emails from John.] We've become such good friends, we're always emailing and SMS-ing each other. We're gonna work together.
Why is your job satyisfying?
Because every day I'm doing my best to help others when I'm reading and I know I'm helping, and it's good. It's good karma, it's good Charma. John and I call it Charma.
If you had to name the most important message from heaven that you had to communicate, what would it be?
I would say that love is God and God is love and if everybody worked with love and compassion and caring for one another the world would be a much better place.