Prof. Adrian Cole, Astrologer & Relationship Researcher

I Spent 600€ on Psychic Readings Before I Found One That Wasn't BS

Then I Found Adrian.

5 Readers Failed Me.

By Michelle Carter

Last Updated: Yesterday

185k+ Read

I'm not someone who falls for scams easily.

I read reviews. I research everything. I comparison shop. I'm the friend people ask when they want to know if something is legit or not.

So I'm honestly embarrassed to admit that I spent over 600€ on psychic readings before I figured out how to spot the real ones from the fakes.

But I'm sharing this anyway because I think there are a lot of people out there getting burned by the same crap I fell for. And if I can save someone else the frustration (and money), it's worth the embarrassment.

Here's what happened.

Why I Started Looking for a Psychic in the First Place

I was stuck.

Not in a cute "oh I need some guidance" way. Stuck in a "I've been asking myself the same question for eight months and I still don't have an answer" way.

Should I stay or should I go?

I'd been with my partner for six years. Things weren't bad. But they also weren't... right. And I couldn't figure out if I was being impatient, if I was self-sabotaging something good, or if my gut was screaming at me for a reason.

I'd talked to my friends. They were split. Half said "relationships take work, stick it out." Half said "life's too short, if you're not happy, leave."

I'd talked to my therapist. She kept asking me what I thought I should do. (Thanks, very helpful.)

I'd journaled. I'd meditated. I'd made pro/con lists.

Nothing was giving me clarity.

So I thought: maybe I need an outside perspective from someone who doesn't know me, doesn't have an agenda, and can just tell me what they see.

A psychic reading seemed like a reasonable next step.

Spoiler alert: it was not as straightforward as I thought.

Reading #1: The Generic Template (75€)

I found the first psychic on Instagram. Her feed looked professional. Lots of testimonials.

Pretty graphics with inspiring quotes.

I booked a reading and sent her my question: "I'm trying to decide whether to stay in my relationship or leave. What do you see?"

What I got back 48 hours later:

"Your soulmate is coming soon. You need to stay open to love and trust that the universe has a plan for you. I see new beginnings on the horizon. Stay positive!"

I read it three times trying to find something—anything—that was specific to my actual situation.

There was nothing.

This could have been sent to literally anyone asking about love. Hell, it could have been sent to someone asking about their career and it would have made just as much sense.

Red Flag I Missed: If the reading could apply to anyone, it's not a reading. It's a template.

But I didn't know that yet. So I thought maybe I just picked the wrong person.

It was disappointing to say the least.

Reading #2: The Upsell Artist (150€ + "Clearing" Fee)

The second psychic came recommended by someone in an online group. She had a website. Seemed more established.

I sent the same question.

Her reading came back and said: "I'm picking up blocked energy around your heart chakra. This is preventing you from seeing your path clearly. Before I can give you accurate guidance, you'll need an energy clearing session. I can do this for you for 300€."

Wait, what?

So the €150 I just paid... wasn't actually for a reading? It was for her to tell me I need to pay more?

I asked if she could just answer my question without the "clearing."

She said the reading wouldn't be accurate without it because my energy was too blocked.

How convenient.

Red Flag I Missed: If someone tells you that you need to pay MORE before they can help you, run. Real readers work with what you've got.

But I was still hopeful. Maybe the next one would be better.

Reading #3: The Robot Response (89€)

This one was cheaper, which I thought was a good sign. More accessible. Less scammy.

I should have known better.

What I got back was clearly automated. It was a PDF with generic card meanings and a few fill-in-the-blank sentences with my name inserted.

"Michelle, the cards show that you are at a crossroads. Trust your intuition. Big changes are coming."

I could have googled "tarot card meanings" and gotten the same information for free.

Actually, I probably would have gotten MORE information from Google.

Red Flag I Missed: If it looks like a template, reads like a template, and could have been generated by a computer... it probably was.

At this point I was 314€ in and had exactly zero clarity.

But I'm stubborn. So I kept going.

Reading #4: The Vague Mystic (180€)

This psychic had great reviews. Her website talked about her 20 years of experience. She seemed legit.

The reading I got back was long. Really long. Lots of words.

But as I read through it, I realized something: I couldn't tell if she was talking about my relationship, my career, my family, or my grocery shopping habits.

Everything was so vague and open to interpretation that I could make it mean whatever I wanted it to mean.

There's a shift happening in your life. Someone close to you is going through their own transformation. You're being called to make a choice that will affect your future. Trust the process."

Okay... but WHAT choice? WHAT shift? WHO is transforming?

I sent a follow-up email asking for clarification.

She responded: "The cards speak in symbols. You'll know what it means when the time comes."

No. That's not how this works.

Red Flag I Missed: Vagueness is not mystical. It's lazy. A good reader gives you specifics you can actually use.

I was now 494€ into this experiment and ready to give up.

Reading #5: The Free Bait-and-Switch (Free... then 50€)

I found a website offering "free psychic readings." Finally, I thought. Let me just try one more before I accept that this whole thing is a waste.

I filled out the form with my question.

I got back three sentences:

"I see challenges in your love life. You have an important decision to make. Click here for your full reading."

The "full reading" cost 50€.

So it wasn't free. It was bait.

I closed the tab.

Total spent: 494€ Total clarity gained: Zero

I was done. Clearly this whole psychic thing was garbage and I'd been an idiot for trying.

I was inundated with messages like these after putting my email in!

Then a Friend Mentioned Prof. Adrian from London, UK.

About a month later, I was venting to a friend about the whole mess.

She said: "Oh, you should have asked me. I've been seeing this psychic for like two years. She's the real deal."

I laughed. "I've heard that before."

"No, seriously. She's different. She does email readings and they're crazy detailed. She actually answers your questions instead of giving you word salad."

I was skeptical. Obviously.

But my friend pulled up one of her old readings and showed me. It was pages long. Specific.

Referenced actual details from her life.

And it was affordable. Like, actually affordable. Not "cheap enough to be a scam" but also not "remortgage your house."

I figured: what's another 85€ at this point? If it's garbage, at least I'll have a complete collection of bad readings.

So I booked one.

You might recognize Prof. Adrian, he’s been shared a lot recently and apparently been very busy!

What Made Adrian's Reading Different

I sent the same question I'd been asking for months: "Should I stay in this relationship or leave?"

Adrian's reading came back the next day.

And within the first paragraph, I knew this was different.

She didn't tell me my soulmate was coming. She didn't try to sell me an energy clearing. She didn't speak in vague mystical riddles.

She told me exactly what she saw:

She said I was staying in the relationship out of fear - not love.

She said I was afraid of starting over. Afraid of being alone. Afraid of making the wrong choice and regretting it later.

She was right about all of it.

But here's what really got me:

She mentioned specific things I hadn't written in my question. She talked about a conversation I'd had with my sister about this exact topic. She mentioned that I'd been having dreams about packing boxes (which I had been, and which I'd told exactly no one about).

When I read that part, I literally said out loud: "How the hell did she know that?"

But the most helpful part wasn't that she was accurate.

It was that she gave me actual, practical guidance.

She didn't just say "trust your intuition." She explained what my intuition was already trying to tell me, why I wasn't listening to it, and what I needed to do to move forward.

She said staying or leaving wasn't the real question. The real question was: why was I so afraid to trust myself?

That hit different.

What I Learnt From Wasting 600€

Here's what I wish someone had told me before I started this whole journey:

1. Real Readers Don't Use Templates

If the reading could apply to anyone, it's not a reading. It's a horoscope. You want specifics, not "the universe has a plan for you."

2. Real Readers Don't Upsell You

If someone tells you that you need to pay more for a "clearing" or "removal" or "protection" before they can help you, they're scamming you. Period.

3. Real Readers Give You Actionable Information

Vague mystical language might sound deep, but it's useless. You want someone who can tell you what they see in a way that actually helps you make decisions.

4. Real Readers Are Detailed

A real reading should reference specific things about your life, your situation, your energy. Not just "big changes are coming."

5. Real Readers Let You Ask Follow-Up Questions

Adrian told me I could email her if I needed clarification on anything. That's how confident she was in what she was giving me. Compare that to Reading #4 where I got "you'll know what it means when the time comes.”

6. Price Isn't Always an Indicator

The most expensive reading I got (180€) was one of the worst. The best reading I got was under 100€. Don't assume expensive means better.

I spent a lot, so you don’t have to!

What Happened After Adrian's Reading

I won't lie and say the reading made my decision for me.

But it gave me the clarity I'd been looking for.

I realized I'd been waiting for someone - anyone - to tell me what to do because I was too scared to trust my own judgment.

Adrian's reading helped me see that I already knew the answer. I just needed permission to trust it.

I left the relationship two months later.

It was hard. It was scary. But it was right.

And I don't think I would have had the courage to do it without that reading helping me see what I was really afraid of.

If You’re Thinking About Getting A Reading

Look, I'm not here to convert anyone into believing in psychics.

What I am here to say is: if you're going to try it, do yourself a favor and learn from my expensive mistakes.

Don't fall for the templates. Don't fall for the upsells. Don't fall for the vague mystical nonsense that sounds profound but means nothing.

Find someone who:

Gives you specific, detailed information

Answers your actual questions

Doesn't try to squeeze more money out of you

Lets you follow up if you need clarity

Adrian does all of that. That's why I'm still working with her two years later.

Could I have figured out my relationship on my own eventually? Maybe.

But it would have taken a lot longer. And I probably would have spent way more than 600€ in therapy bills trying to sort through it.

Sometimes you just need someone who can see what you can't.