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How to Screen Scammers for Cursing Cons, by Diana Rajchel

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

San Francisco has an unusual law for fortune-tellers. This law requires that anyone who offers fortune-telling services to apply for a license with the city and report to city hall for fingerprinting. As someone who reads tarot as part of a metaphysical solutions practice, I balked when I found out about this. Sure, a business license made sense—the city's taxes and budget needs are enormous for anyone who moved there after 1970—but fingerprints? Tarot somehow meant criminal activity in a place with the mystical history San Francisco?

Not long after this discovery, a post on NextDoor from the San Francisco PD explained everything. Scammers were exploiting vulnerable people in public spaces, marching up to them in shopping malls and at gas stations to offer readings, and then convincing their targets that they were cursed. To remove these afflictions, these "readers" demanded hundreds and even thousands of dollars.

In some cases, if the person refused the scammer, the fake reader might then persuade them that they would be cursed if they didn't pay up. (In at least one case I know of the scammer did follow up with a negative working.)

San Francisco has always had a reputation for pirates and plunderers, so fortune-telling scammers come as no surprise. What did shock me was the frequency to which these villains still succeed in their evil deeds. For people like myself that are in the business of ruling out (or acknowledging) curses to break bad patterns, scammers pose a massive and complicated problem. How can you operate a business that requires faith and trust with people claiming your field with the very intention of violating faith and trust?

Scam victims are a regular and painful part of life for legitimate members of the spiritual field. Anyone who works in this business more than ten years has at least one story about a terrified client seeking a second opinion after an encounter with a spiritual scammer. By the time these folks come see someone legitimate, they have already lost hundreds to thousands of dollars because of these manipulations.

This puts me in a rough position with San Francisco's regulations. I object to the law, but I can't ignore the reasoning behind it: vulnerable people need protection.

That's the very reason I started down a path that includes curse diagnostics and breaking. Those of us raised in colonizer cultures unfortunately make the problem worse because of our own cognitive dissonance around cursing. Curses are billed as "ridiculous" and "superstitious" and yet it's people from all backgrounds that end up on that scam victim list. The way it's been handled so far is to gaslight and add to the dissonance—either insisting that "that doesn’t happen," or insisting that "only those people from that culture and practice have curses."

Sometimes, the colonizer mentality doubles up on the gaslight/put-down and suggests that "those people" are just "uneducated." "Those people" are the only real experts on the realities of their lives and if someone from outside my cultural bubble comes to me believing they may be cursed, I listen, rather than dismiss. If someone comes to me thousands of dollars poorer because of a scam, I don't chastise or judge, I listen to why they think it might be so.

My exposure to people far outside my bubble of birth has left me convinced of two things: curses are real, and con artists are common. Finding an ethical person to diagnose and resolve a curse is even more difficult when navigating a community that has both people casting real spells and people faking it to scare people into handing over their money. The spiritual scam victim and the person who bought into the "curses don't exist" modern party line ends up having much the same questions: Are curses real? Am I vulnerable? How do I rule this out? Can I even find an honest person for a second opinion? What the hell do I do about it if I am cursed—I don't have $500!

I can't offer absolute protection from scams; these people know how to cold-read and pick their targets with care. The most resistant person can get caught up by a scammer if picked on the wrong day.

I also can't give guarantees on my workings. Hired spiritual work is similar to working with a lawyer, or a doctor, in that you pay for a certain kind of expertise that cannot be guaranteed. You can't always win the lawsuit, and you can't always see the results you might want from a spell or spell breaking.

With this dilemma in mind, I offer the following guidelines if someone says you have a curse on you.

1. First, were you even considering you might carry a curse before the conversation began? 
2. Second, did you seek this person out, or did they blindly solicit you? Are they offering to "lift" the curse that you weren't even concerned that you had for an exorbitant fee? Assume someone who walks up to you on the street or cold-calls you on social media to tell you you have a curse is lying. Scaring people into limbic hijack so that they can't think clearly to question what they're told is a common method of grifters.
3. Third, if you think you might be cursed, why? What seeded that idea? If you are seeing a string of increasing and bizarre bad luck, that might merit exploration. Most of the time, you will find out that you aren't cursed, that you have more of a "clog" because of energy build up. Those are often much less expensive to fix, and you can often take care of yourself.For example, if you have a streak of tiny accidents, it might come from a spiteful magic worker. Still, rule out all logical explanations. Your coordination might be off because you don't get enough sleep, or you keep running late because you forgot to reset your devices to your current time zone. Assess on a scale of normal/horror movie/cartoon how improbable strange incidences are. If you find yourself in situations that in any way resemble Supernatural or South Park, please call someone. You might not be cursed per se, but you still need help.

If signs are pointing towards a cursing, try to keep an open mind about who and how. Stay as calm as you can. Do not trouble yourself too much over why unless you did something especially unconscionable.

Get divination from someone who has a good reputation but who doesn't know you or the situation. Look at reviews for local metaphysical shops, and if the shop has positive feedback in multiple places, give them a call and ask about their readers. Forums such as RateMyPsychic can also help you track down someone that can help. Before you hire a reader, also take a look at their social media platforms. Look for an authentic person showing themselves. Someone that expresses critical thought about popular spiritual ideals is more likely to handle a tough problem than someone that only posts inspirational memes.

Never call a "psychic" that advertises by dropping glowing reviews on the profiles of other psychics. "I got my husband back..." these usually begin. These people are invariably scammers.

If you honestly believe someone has worked harm to you via magic, then put the same effort into finding someone to help you that you would put into finding a contractor for home repairs.

All curses are breakable. It may take persistence, and in some risky cases, it may well involve expense—but an ethical worker will take every effort to work themselves out of a job, and will start with the least expensive solutions first.

We live in a big universe, one large enough to contain curses, cures, and con artists. Part of making the world better is cursing the cons, curing the innocently cursed, and raising ourselves beyond the need for any of it. Until then, tread carefully, think critically, try to rule out the supernatural before seeking spiritual help, and never believe a guy at the 7-11 who walks up to you out of nowhere and tells you about a “dark energy” in your aura.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2021. All rights reserved.

I have been having recurring dreams for two years now of a certain man. He was once famous, but at that time, I was not a fan. He came into my dreams one night and has been there ever since. I have tried to meet him through various connections, but as yet, have not succeeded. Astrologers and psychics have told me that we have been together in past lives and there is a strong connection between us in this one. Is it possible that we recognize past life connections to celebrities because they are so high profile? Does this feeling mean we're meant to meet in this life, or just that there is an old connection?
Marsha

Susyn:

Fame and celebrity aside, we can often be drawn to certain individuals for no apparent reason. In most cases, we have those strange feelings of attraction because we had happy experiences with them in a past life. It's true that celebrities have a higher profile than the rest of us, so even if we don't come into contact with them directly, seeing them in the media can trigger a deep knowing within us.

As with many people we cross paths with in this lifetime, past-life karma plays a role in whether or not those individuals will become a part of our lives. Those instant connections we make that develop into a relationship or lifelong friendship basically reveal themselves, through their longevity and specialness, as having a strong foundation on a soul level.

The most important thing to recognize in this instance is that you've been touched on a very deep soul level by this famous personality. Destiny will dictate if and when you will come together in this lifetime with little to no effort on your part. That being said, it is still very important to note the feelings of attraction this man evokes within you.

We can often be deeply affected simply by the idea of another person. Often we tend to idealize someone we do not know intimately, and so the purest form of this man's spirit is what is attracting you. He could represent all the qualities you'd like to have in a partner, or he could have been your husband or lover in a past life. The thing to remember is that currently, he is not in your life, so these feelings are Spirit trying to send you a message.

When we encounter someone who for no logical apparent reason has a profound effect on us, we're wise to note the changes we end up making, and how this shifts our focus. These stirrings can move us to strive for a higher sense of purpose or enlightenment in our lives, and in the process, convince us to let go of some old ideas. For example, if you were dating someone who was completely inappropriate for you, the awareness that you are strongly attracted to this celebrity could persuade you to get out of that bad relationship.

I suspect that when you think about this man, you feel more alive, more excited and more inclined to improve yourself. Using these invigorating energies to inspire ourselves is a good thing, so it may be just what you need to move forward on your life's journey. If he is destined to be a part of your life, Spirit will move the two of you closer together and make it happen. In the meantime, I suggest you capitalize on the inspiration this man evokes in you and continue to strive for your heart's desires.

*****

Oceania:

As is true of most obsessions, the man in your dreams serves two purposes. On a surface level, he is distracting you from something unresolved in your own life. On a deeper level, he symbolically holds the key to your healing.

When we repeatedly dream about or think of someone, that person serves as a diversion from some loss or other source of emotional pain, so it would be helpful to examine what was happening in your life at the time these dreams began. What was going on two years ago, or what changed at that time? Perhaps some newfound awareness surfaced that got set aside.

While this man's presence may be intriguing or comforting in the short run, it also shields you from addressing a deeper, more powerful issue. He's like a brightly-colored Band-Aid taped over an infected wound that distracts and consoles but cannot heal you. By examining what this man symbolizes for you, you may be able to heal yourself.

I suggest a free association technique called bubble journaling. Write this man's name in the center of a blank piece of paper and draw a big circle around it. Now draw smaller circles around the big circle, and connect them to the big circle with lines. Fill each of these satellite circles with a word you associate with this man. If you feel stuck, think of words that describe him, his strengths or weaknesses. Since he is not in your life and you don't really know him, all that matters is what YOU associate with him.

Now draw smaller circles around each of your satellite circles and connect them to the satellites with lines. Taking one satellite at a time, think of words you associate with the word inside and write them down in the smaller circles. For example, if one of the words you associate with your dream man is bold, you might put words like adventurous, courageous, daring, or fearless in the circles surrounding bold. When you finish, read through your complete list of words and see how they might reflect what preceded this man's appearances in your dreams in terms of a situation or solution.

I'd like you to do one other exercise called a role play. Imagine yourself to BE this celebrity and to possess the qualities you ascribe to him. Imagine yourself (as him) speaking or writing directly to Marsha. What would you say to her? What advice or encouragement would you bestow? Try not to edit as you speak aloud or write things down. The messages may not make sense at first, but as you mull them over, you will likely discover wisdom that will help you tackle your own life challenges and let this obsession go.

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.