Psychic readings and mediumship

Psychic reading covers the practices through which a person claims to perceive information about a situation through intuition, with or without tools (cards, pendulum). A medium claims to communicate with the deceased.

It is mostly practised through remote consultations, charged by the minute. Our ranking compares platforms on published criteria: price, reviews, transparency, channels and welcome offer.

Where it comes from

The desire to know what is hidden runs through every era. In ancient Greece, the Delphic oracle had the Pythia speak in the name of Apollo, and the sibyls were thought to be inspired. In the 16th century, Nostradamus published prophetic quatrains whose interpretations still fuel debate. Everywhere, such figures have inspired both fascination and distrust among the authorities.

Modern mediumship was born in the 19th century. In 1848, in the United States, the Fox sisters claimed to communicate with a spirit through knocking sounds, and spiritualism spread rapidly. In France, Allan Kardec published The Spirits' Book in 1857, which founded spiritism. Earlier in the century, the cartomancer Marie-Anne Lenormand had become very famous in Paris, and her name remains attached to a deck of cards.

In the 20th century, clairvoyance partly left consulting rooms and fairs for the media: newspaper columns, radio programmes and then, in France, consultations by Minitel and premium-rate telephone lines in the 1980s and 1990s. The internet later made chat, email and video consultations commonplace, and made per-minute pricing the most common model.

What it is based on

A distinction is often made between so-called “pure” clairvoyance, in which the clairvoyant claims to perceive without any tool, and clairvoyance with a tool, which uses cards, a pendulum, a photo, a date of birth or an object. The tool serves as a point of support: it focuses attention and gives structure to the narrative. The vocabulary of perceptions borrows from the senses: some say they “see” images, others “hear” or “feel”.

Mediumship presents itself differently: the medium claims to act as an intermediary with a deceased person and to pass on messages, often starting from a first name or a photograph. Both clairvoyance and mediumship rest on a belief in perceptions that go beyond the ordinary senses, which has never been demonstrated under controlled conditions. For those who consult, what matters is the exchange, the listening and the narrative offered.

How it is practised

You choose a platform and a reader, then consult by phone, chat or email; prices are displayed per minute.

A consultation generally opens with your first name, sometimes your date of birth, and the subject that concerns you: love life, work, family, bereavement. The clairvoyant states their perceptions, you respond, and they elaborate. At a distance, a consultation most often lasts from ten to thirty minutes; in person, a session of half an hour to an hour is usual, at a price set in advance.

Before you begin, find out the actual price, the expected duration and the billing terms, especially when the rate is per minute. Set yourself a maximum budget and duration in advance. You are free to end the conversation at any time, without having to justify yourself, and not to call back.

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What to expect

A consultation can offer a moment of being listened to, a chance to put your worries into words and an outside view of a situation. Some people come away feeling calmer or with something to reflect on. The perceptions put forward cannot be verified in advance and should be received with detachment: no clairvoyant can guarantee a reconciliation, a date or an outcome.

Clairvoyance does not replace medical, legal or financial advice, nor psychological support, particularly in a difficult bereavement. Be wary of a consultant who announces misfortune, talks of curses or spells, asks for money to “lift” a curse, or presses you to extend the call and buy more minutes. These are signs of abuse, which French law can punish as exploitation of vulnerability.

Glossary

Pure clairvoyance

Clairvoyance practised without any physical tool, the clairvoyant claiming to perceive information directly. It is the opposite of clairvoyance with a tool.

Medium of reading

The object or information on which a consultation is based: cards, pendulum, photograph, date of birth. It serves as the starting point for the reading.

Clairvoyance

The ability, claimed by some psychics, to perceive mental images about a person or a situation. The term clairaudience is also used for auditory perceptions.

Medium

A person who says they act as an intermediary with the dead. The term became established with nineteenth-century spiritualism.

Flash

A word commonly used by psychics for a sudden perception that occurs during a consultation.

Abuse of vulnerability (abus de faiblesse)

An offence under French law that penalises taking advantage of a person's vulnerability to make them act against their own interests, for example by making repeated payments.