Becky in the Media - "Clairvoyant or con?" - The Daily Mail, 12 August 2005
Text Transcript
My final clairvoyant is Becky Walsh at the Watkins Esoteric Centre near Leicester Square. She is 32 but she looks much younger, like a well scrubbed student. Like Sharon, she seems incredibly normal. We debate which of my metal possessions to give her and decide on my mobile telephone. I am practiced at shuffling the tarot now and Becky lays out the cards
The carpet-bombing from the spirit world begins. "You have a lot of nervous energy", she says, "but there is a point inside of you that is as still as water. You have a need for control and direction. You have rituals. You are getting better at controlling your anxiety. You get more worked up about relationships than about anything else"
Bullseye again, I think, but isn't this true of all unmarried career girls?
"Your spirit guide is Egyptian", she says. Egypt is mentioned again, the third time in three readings. I am seriously beginning to believe.
My grandfather appears again. He never spoke this much to me when he was alive (he was busy watching snooker). "You are much closer to your mothers family, aren't you?" Becky asks. I nod. My mothers parents lived with us when I was a child.
"Do you have any chest problems?" she asks. "Yes" I reply. "I've had a chest infection and I have weak lungs". "I can feel it", she tells me. She says she has an important piece of advice. "Be careful with money; you give away too much". It's true; just yesterday I gave a tramp £50.
My poor boyfriend is dissected again. "I like him", Becky says, "but you are riddled with doubts. Allow it to develop. You haven't met the love of your life yet though."
"I can see a wedding and children", she says. "Two children. You wont get married in England - I think you'll get married on an island". I've always dreamt of marrying in Venice.
Becky squeezes her eyes shut. "I can see grapes. Are you a big wine drinker?" "I used to be", I reply. "Did you want to act in musical theatre?" "Yes", again. As with Sharon, everything rings true. If they are fraudulent, they are very skillful at it.
Becky does a final tarot reading. "You are leaving the world of bad relationships forever", she promises. "But watch out for health problems. Stop eating at weird times". I am, indeed, a middle-of-the-night scoffer. "And give up smoking".
Finally, I ask her if she minds being a clairvoyant. "I had a row with my ex-boyfriend once", she says. "He shouted; "Just because you are psychic, it doesn't give you the right to tell me what I'm thinking!" So being a clairvoyant is a burden then? Becky considers. "If you believe that the reason for living is to learn as many lessons as possible", she grins, "then I can cheat".
PSYCHIC RATING 8/10
Postscript
I enjoyed my brush with the spirit world. The clairvoyants' generalisations about my personality, fears and dreams were accurate, but in many ways I'm a typical woman of my age & time.
Their join revelation about Egypt was extraordinary and made it Hadar me to dismiss them. They were spot on about my family and, although they argued about my boyfriend, the trawl through my psyche was very enjoyable.
I didn't see any spirits but, as Renaissance men must have felt when they learnt the Earth was round, not flat - just because you cannot see something, it doesn't mean it isn't real.