My Honest Experience Psychic Source, Keen & California Psychics

After reading a bunch of FAQ pages, I picked up on a few key terms that most psychic websites use. Understanding these made it much easier to figure out what I was looking for:

Tools: The objects that a psychic uses, such as Tarot or Angel cards. Some psychics read without tools.
Abilities: Psychic skills such as communicating with spirits (medium) or sensing the emotions of others (empath).
Topics/Specialties: A psychic’s area of expertise for instance love, career, life path, dream interpretation, etc.

Armed with this basic knowledge, I was ready to dive in and get my first online psychic reading. I tried out 3 different services—California Psychics, Keen and Psychic Source—I set up a new account, searched for a psychic, and purchased a 20-30 minute reading on each. The results varied. At times, the psychics were freakishly accurate, but other times, it felt like a waste of time and money. To help you figure out which website is right for you, here’s a detailed account of what it was like to use each site.

Psychic Source

Reading methods: Call, chat, video
Price: $5–$12 per minute
Special deal: As low as $0.66 per min
Good for: Video readings

First Impression

This is not a very slick-looking website but it has one standout feature - video calling, offered by around 60 of the website’s 300+ psychics. Being able to see the psychic makes it feel more like a regular, in-person consultation, but it costs an extra $2per minute than phone or chat. If money is no object, this is the way to go. Otherwise keep an eye on the site’s special offers page.

Choosing a Psychic

You can sort the readers via communication method (phone, chat or video) or by the usual categories (abilities, tools, topics and reading style). I knew I wanted a video reading so I clicked on that section. Out of the eight psychics who were online, only three had the video button enabled; the rest were only taking call or chat clients at that moment.

On each psychic’s profile page, I was able to read customer reviews, which had both comments and star ratings out of 5, as well as details about their methods and experience. I chose Craig who had a 4 star rating (the highest rated of the three available video psychics), 10 years of experience, and described his reading style as “direct”. He was also offering a special rate of $7.45 per minute for video, the same price as call or chat.

Getting a Reading

To continue,I had to set up an account and add a preselected amount of credit: $15, $20, $30, $65, $100, or more. I added $100 and also applied a code that I found on the special offers page which got me 5 minutes at $2 per minute. I hit the call button and a window popped up on the screen telling me I had enough funds for a 17 minute reading (not much, even with his discount and my promo code). With me already on the line, the system dialed Craig. On the first try there was no answer but a few minutes later I called again and got through.

Craig was sitting in front of a white wall wearing a t-shirt and a headset. He looked like an average guy, there was nothing mystical about him. He told me he’s a Voodoo high priest and showed me a skull-shaped object which he held throughout the reading. Using my name and date of birth he answered questions and made predictions about my future. Then out of the blue, he asked me if I have a deceased brother, which I do, although there’s no way he could have known that. “He says hi,” Craig said. When I pressed for more information he told me there was no other message, just a greeting. After the call I couldn’t stop thinking about that, and it left me with a warm, happy feeling for an hour or two.

Would I Use it Again?

Yes, solely for the video option. Even though there was some loss of mystique, I really liked being able to see the person I was talking to. I also suspect that it helped Craig connect more strongly with me and provide a more accurate reading. It’s definitely a splurge though... maybe next time I’ll ask for some psychic financial advice.

So now you know what it’s like to get a psychic reading on three different websites. The best thing any psychic website has to offer is the convenience of a reading wherever and whenever you want it. Hopefully this article helps you figure out which service is right for you, whether you need answers, advice, some tough love, or a virtual hug—or to figure out why your cat is ignoring you more than usual.

Keen

Reading methods: Call, chat
Price: From $1.99 per minute
Special deal: First 3 min free
Good for: Users on a budget

First Impression

This pared-back website is the easiest to use out of the three. There are shortcuts to the most popular types of readings (Tarot, psychic, spiritual, medium, love, and life questions), and creating an account is a one-step process. It was also the most affordable site with many psychics charging as little as $2 per minute, plus first-time-users pay just $2 for the first 10 minutes.

Choosing a Psychic

When it comes to the search function, Keen is more limited than the other sites. You can browse by somewhat random categories, which include Spanish speakers and three different types of astrologers. Alternatively, you can use the Best Match tool which asks you a few simple questions and then finds you a list of suitable psychics. However, you can only filter the results by price, rating and call/chat, whereas the other websites had more ways to narrow down results.

I decided on an astrologer, so I clicked on that category, set the price limit at $3 per minute, and looked for the psychics with the highest rating. Keen’s psychic reviews look just like Amazon reviews with comments and stars. I settled on Crystal of Light and Love 5. Her profile picture was a stock image rather than a photograph, but she had excellent reviews (4.7 out of 5), had completed more than 50,000 readings, and was a bargain at $2.30 per minute.

Getting a Reading

Setting up an account was quick and easy. When it came to the payment step, there was no minimum amount per purchase. Once I had deposited $50 and entered my phone number, I received a call from an automated system telling me I had 31 minutes with Crystal. Helpfully, the system also interjects during the call to notify when you have 1 minute remaining, and again when you have 15 seconds left.

When Crystal came on the line, I asked her for an astrology reading. For some reason, she did a clairvoyant reading instead, going off my voice, my name and my birthday. She didn’t tell me that she was going to do that, so I only realized it halfway through the reading. I asked her about my future and about several family members, providing a first and middle name for each person. Her responses were vague and generic, and occasionally just plain wrong.

One example: I asked about my career and she said that she saw opportunities arising for ongoing training and improvement, which is about as useful and specific as a newspaper horoscope. She also spoke very slowly which felt like a way of running down the clock. Additionally, she made a statement that I found ethically troubling: that my infant could get caught up in an altercation as a teenager that might result in two deaths. That’s an alarmist prediction that could cause me decades of anxiety. Despite her excellent reviews I found the reading disappointing. To me, she felt like a phony.

Would I Use it Again?

Maybe. Of course I can’t judge a whole website based on one bad reading, but what worries me is the number of positive reviews that this psychic had—more than 19,000. However, Keen offered the best bang for my buck so I would probably use it again and just try a different reader.

California Psychics

Reading methods: Call, chat
Price: $4–$15 per minute
Special deal: First session starts at $1/min
Good for: Positive, uplifting readings

First Impression

This general vibe of this site is positive and friendly with large, airbrushed pictures of psychics smiling in nature. The emphasis is on personal development: the site promises readings that will “inspire, uplift and empower” to help you achieve “serenity, happiness and success”. If you’re into affirmations or Tony Robbins, this is the place for you.

Choosing a Psychic

You can filter the long list of psychics by price, tools, topics, abilities and reading style (inspirational, compassionate or straightforward). You can also search through the site’s custom categorizations such as staff picks, customer favorites or hot deals. Each psychic’s profile page contains a detailed description about their reading method and experience; some have tens of thousands of readings under their belts.

What stands out about this site is that instead of reviews there are testimonials, meaning customers leave comments, but there is no rating or score. All of the testimonials are positive, and without a rating system it’s hard to figure out which psychics are better than others. There is a “premier” category for the site’s top readers but it’s unclear how they were granted that title. Your only choice is to select a reader based on their experience and skills, and trust that California Psychics did some vetting on their end to eliminate any duds.

Getting a Reading

I was intrigued by a category called “past life readings” so I clicked on that and selected one of the most affordable readers. Kim had completed more than 49,000 readings, cost $4 per minute, and she was a staff pick. To speak to her, I had to set up an account, choose the reading duration and pay in advance. California Psychics’ prepaid packages start at $40 but there was a $20-for-20-minutes offer available, so I went with that. Once I had placed my order and paid, I was taken to a confirmation page with an estimated wait time until my psychic was available. A minute later I received a call from an automated system that connected me to Kim.

She said she needed to listen to my voice for a bit in order to do the reading, so we made small talk for 30 seconds. Then she gave me a fun, feel-good reading about my past lives. They included some cool lifetimes as a writer-philosopher in Ancient Greece, an architect in Ancient Egypt, and an indigenous medicine man in South America. There’s really no way to ascertain how accurate she was, but she was so warm that I just enjoyed the conversation, and didn’t even mind when we got off topic for a minute or two chatting about Brooklyn, where I live. Towards the end of the reading I got a warning beep that my funds were running low; I’m not sure if Kim was able to hear it, but she made no attempt to bring the reading to a close, so when the time ran out she was cut off mid-sentence, which was pretty jarring. Like the other sites I tried, the automated system gave me the option to add more time and extend the reading. However, the minimum purchase was $40 for another ten minutes, so I declined.

Would I Use it Again?

Yes. The psychics on this site feel a bit like life coaches, so I would consider consulting them when making big decisions. Alternatively, if I was ever feeling down I think this site would provide a welcome dose of positivity and support. And hey, it’s cheaper than therapy!

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