Page 57 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - November 2013 Edition

Psychic scammers find remove the curse. The psychic used an egg in when she told Louwanna Miller on the talk fertile haunting ground in the ritual, touching it against her forehead, show that her missing daughter Amanda Berry shoulders and heart. was 'not alive.' At the end of the ceremony, the psychic Following the psychic's words, Ms Internet age instructed Battle to break the egg, which Miller walked away being '98 per cent' sure that appeared to be half-cooked and filled with black her daughter was dead. She died of heart failure By Jeffrey B. Roth seeds, she said. two years later. "That flipped me out," said Battle. Amanda was found alive nearly a GETTYSBURG, Pa., Oct 29 (Reuters) - As pre- She said the psychic told her the seeds decade later along with two younger women in Halloween witches and ghouls sprout up on were the physical embodiment of the curse, and the Cleveland home of her abductor, Ariel U.S. lawns, experts are warning people to be persuaded her to spend another $500 to have the Castro. wary of modern occult scammers who have egg properly disposed of. In response to the backlash sparked by moved online to hawk virtual voodoo dolls, Battle said she paid the money, but later her wrong prediction, Browne said in a revenge spells and otherwise "haunted" items. regretted her decision. She did some research on statement that ‘only God is always right.’ While the idea of spending money for a the Internet and discovered she had fallen prey Miss Browne is survived by her magic spell - to help with an endeavor or to to a commonly used scam. [] husband, Michael Ulery, two sons and three inflict pain on an enemy - has been around for grandchildren. centuries, experts say the anonymity of online Celebrity psychic Sylvia Browne who wrongly Browne's passing comes a month after transactions can encourage people who would predicted death of Ohio kidnapping victim she celebrated her 77th birthday. otherwise never think of visiting a storefront Amanda Berry dies aged 77 In recent weeks, the elderly medium psychic to fall for a con. posted contemplative messages on Facebook "It's a new twist on an old idea," said World-famous - and at talking about faith and mortality. Nicholas Little, legal director of the Center for Her final post from October 27 read: Inquiry, a Washington-based nonprofit that times controversial - 'My one prayer every morning that has carried promotes secular and rational thinking. "It's psychic Sylvia Browne has me through my life is, "Hi God, it's me again." easy to hide your identity on the Internet, so It doesn't matter how you pray. It can be just people are willing to try scams online that they died. She was 77 years old. simply talking to God. Remember, God knows would never be willing to try in person." your heart and soul.' While most scammers offer items in the In September, Browne tellingly wrote on small-dollar range - selling allegedly haunted Browne was a regular on day-time and late- her page: 'If you are afraid to die, you will not items on auction sites for under $10 - some go night talk shows like Montel, The Tonight Show fully live,' drawing more than 8,647 'likes' from for large sums of money. A Manhattan woman and Larry King Live. her followers. The 77-year-old spiritualist had a running a fortune-telling business earlier this The medium also lended her expertise busy schedule ahead of her, with a dozen live month was found guilty of conning two women on missing persons investigations - with varying readings planned from coast to coast through out of $138,000, claiming that the funds would degrees of success. April 2014. [] be used to solve problems related to their past Miss Browne became the object of lives. widespread ridicule this past spring when it was Alexandra Holzer Gargiulo, daughter of revealed that she had erroneously told the NEW FROM REL-MAR paranormal researcher and author, Hans Holzer, mother of Amanda Berry, one of the three is publishing a 50th anniversary edition of her women abducted and held in captivity by Ariel father's book "Ghost Hunter." She said Castro in Ohio, that her daughter was dead. paranormal scams prey on people who are According to a lengthy post that "desperate for answers." appeared on Browne’s Facebook page Television shows that depict Wednesday evening, the spiritualist passed investigators using gadgets such as electro- away just after 7am today at Good Samaritan magnetic field detectors to document evidence Hospital in San Jose, California. of paranormal activity have driven up demand The online statement described the late for those items, Gargiulo said. She added that medium as a spiritual guide who dedicated the shows have also sparked growth in the nearly 60 years of her life to helping others number of self-proclaimed paranormal through readings, and an ‘advocate for justice’ investigators, who charge homeowners as much who worked with law enforcement agencies. as $1,500 to rid their homes of spirits. Browne grew up in Kansas City, The law relating to such activities is not Missouri, where her supposed psychic ability Composed, Performed, Directed always definitive, Little said, noting that began to manifest itself when she was 3 years and Engineered by fortune-tellers and others who offer occult old. ROB McCONNELL services often use a "for entertainment purposes She moved to California in 1964, and a only" disclaimer to prevent legal problems. decade later started The Nirvana Foundation for 1. Blue Canadian Sky Even as people who sell occult services Psychic Research. move online, some continue to run storefronts, In the course of her decades-long career, 2. Laura’s Theme offering psychic readings for a small fee and Miss Browne published over 50 books, nearly 3. Mayan Prophecy trying to talk customers into paying more to half of which landed on The New York Times 4. Rented Silence resolve problems. Bestsellers List. 5. Rise Above Hate and Anger One New York woman who recently fell She was also a frequent guest on The 6. Robbie Shuffle victim to such a scam was Maya Battle. Montel Williams Show, where Browne 7. Genesis Grid "It was a bad time for me and I was appeared almost every week for over 17 years. 8. UFO Concerto unhappy about a lot of things," said Battle. ‘A beacon that shined for so many was "Before, I had visited a psychic for a $5 reading extinguished today, but its brightness was relit ISBN: 978-0-9917799-5-6 for fun, but had never invested a lot of money and will now shine forever for many of us from (c) 2013 for a reading." above,’ Mr Williams said about Browne. ‘I, like REL-MAR McConnell Media Company But one day, while waiting for a friend so many of you, lost a friend today. But, as has outside a bar, Battle was approached by a been for the last twenty years, she'll always NOW AVAILABLE AT doorway psychic, who told her she was the remain a part of me. My thoughts and prayers target of an evil curse. go out to Sylvia's family in this time of loss.’ WWW.AMAZON.COM She persuaded Battle to pay $100 to In 2004, Miss Browne made headlines