There was just a story on Yahoo today about how the British Intelligence MI5 hired an Astrologer to help them defeat Hitler. This has prompted me to write an article on how to spot a fake, a grifter or a charletan disguised as a counselor. The information was recently released in British documents that had become declassified. The Astrologer they hired caused them a lot of problems and was ultimately a liability, a fake and probably a charletan.
This brings up a lot of good questions around the practice of Astrology, and made me want to point out a few things you should be wary of when hiring someone to consult for you, so as not to be taken by a scam or grifter. These rules apply to Astrology, Psychics and alternative healers as well. It is a sad thing, but unfortunately there are people who use these fields to take advantage of others. Some warning signs to spot a scam artist:
Grandiosity - ego, a sense of entitlement, behaving like royalty (some fakers even assume titles). This was exactly the case with the so called astrologer hired by the British Intelligence, Louis de Wohl. He was creating a ‘made up glory’ to impress people, but it was fake. The problem with such a thing is that, like fake diamonds many people fall for such cheap tactics.
Excessive costumes and/or props – delivering a useful service has very little to do with costume, props or settings. I used to live in Santa Monica and work at the Psychic Eye Bookstore that used to be located there (this is the largest and most well-established metaphysical Bookstore in the country). This is near the Venice boardwalk, and I would go to the boardwalk on occasion and there were many charletan readers set up there on the beach. Sure there were probably a few good ones too. By far the busiest one was a man who dressed from head to toe in strange turban like robes. Yet, he did not belong to any established group I could identify (such as the Tibetan Buddhists or the Seiks, etc). When I managed to ask him about this, he became very haughty, defensive and suddenly acted like he couldn’t speak English. He never did answer my question about where he was from, couldn’t answer my direct questions about Astrology and Tarot cards, and he literally turned away from me and refused to speak to me any more. I am pretty sure that this guy was a charlatan. Don’t be taken in by these gimmicks.
A truly gifted counselor is more likely to look like you or your neighbor than a walking cliche. Among more seasoned pro’s this, and people who walk around waving crystals and burning incense is seen as a telltale sign of the amateur.
An uncaring or selfish attitude – clearly this is a ‘people’ profession. A scam artist will not really care about you or your results. They may also use intimidation or guilt tactics if you voice concern.
Making things sound too good to be true – any really good counselor will point out the areas where you can achieve better results by shifting your behaviors or attitudes, and they may suggest you do some work on yourself. This is just basic common sense. But a fake counselor will paint only rosy pictures and tell you that it’s all someone else’s fault. They will not encourage personal responsibility. This is a sure sign of a scam, and you should run.
An appeal to greed – I once attended a group that was dedicated to ‘mediumship’ and nearly instantly it became clear that the appeal for those who attended was for gaining financial settlements over the deaths of those who they were attempting to contact. There was zero mention of healing, letting go or love. All discussion was directed towards the details that would ‘win’ a lawsuit, inheritance or other financial settlement. This is just plain creepy, steer very clear of any similar situation.
Lack of Established Community Standing – cheats and sneaks usually don’t stay put for long and almost never have a byline appear on a local paper or magazine for a period of years. If someone has been a visible member of a community for a period of time, chances are that they are at least sincere in their efforts and craft. For example Rob Brezny has been writing for the SF Weekly for ever. He doesn’t even do readings anymore, but he knows his stuff.
I am sure there are other things to watch out for, but these are some of the main ones I’ve seen. Above all though, EGO is the kiss of death. Steer very clear of it. Anyone who is too attached to their own ego cannot be evolved enough to give good counseling. And while this alone may not be a sign they are a charlatan, it definitely means they aren’t too evolved.
