James Betz, local psychic, works at his desk in his Tempe, which he will be leaving to move into a location in downtown Phoenix.

Murphy's Law: Spiritual intuition or fortunetellers?

A fortuneteller just may be more in tune with your feelings than you are.
By Emily Murphy published on Thursday, October 16, 2003

Psychic exposure

Local clairvoyant James Betz is just a regular guy with a gift.

By Rekha Muddaraj, State Press Magazine

Murphy's Law: Spiritual intuition or fortunetellers?
A fortuneteller just may be more in tune with your feelings than you are.
By Emily Murphy published on Thursday, October 16, 2003

For as long as I can remember, my mom has been into astrology. She struggled during my birth and my brothers' to record the exact moments we were born, and she has spent hours drawing out our charts and analyzing our stars. I even was not allowed to take my driver's test on my 16th birthday because my mom saw in my chart that I would fail if I took it that day.

My 16th birthday is when I started believing her: Two girls with the same birthday failed their driving tests that day. I started asking her about everything: what my signs were (yes, you have more than one), what the different houses were and where the planets lined up. While I sort of felt silly for putting so much merit into the positions of some rocks and balls of gas in the sky, I couldn't help but wonder if my place in the universe somehow had something to do with the placement of other things in the universe.

But nowadays, people seem to be less shy about exploring metaphysics. Thousands of people openly watch and visit John Edwards to talk to their dead counterparts, and now psychics are so prevalent that they are having their own conventions. Many people can't leave things up to fate, and many others just need a little guidance.

This week's cover story, "Psychic exposure" by Rekha Muddaraj, looks into the life of local clairvoyant James Betz. This man who carries a cell phone and a Mormon past has taken his psychic gift and turned it into a full-time job. Both Muddaraj and our photographer Matthew Garcia admitted that what he does is a little bit creepy and right on target. "It's very specific. Very personal," Garcia says.

And this, again, made me curious. Is it possible that there are people, or stars, or cards or stones that can show us our futures?

Personally, I don't think so. What I do think is that there are people out there who are intuitive and can read a person's emotional state. I think that while people feel they hide their feelings and their issues rather well, they actually wear them on their sleeve. What's interesting is that Betz seems to feel the same way. He makes it clear that he isn't there to tell people what their futures are, but is more like a life coach.

And I think we all need a little bit of coaching in life. While I haven't made all the best choices, a few of the good ones I did make were because of what my mother told me she saw in my chart: because of what she saw in me. And while I might not totally believe in tarot cards, a mother's intuition is something in which I always will believe.

We have always viewed clairvoyants with a sense of suspicion. How could people possibly know what the future holds for us? Skeptics claim that psychics give such general readings that it is easy for people to find instances in their lives that fit the description given. The famous Nostradamus is even criticized for his prophecies.

But these abilities have evolved, and along with more credibility, psychics carry a new nametag: spiritual intuitives. They have the same qualities and practice the same crafts, but they now direct their focus to heal and help people work for "the higher good."

It's all crystal clear

Meet James Betz: A resident of Tempe, he is the kind of next-door neighbor who would lend you a cup of sugar. He's soft-spoken, polite and possesses an almost eerie calmness to his demeanor. He is the founder of In-Sights Metaphysical Exchange and works as a psychic. This youthful-looking 50-year-old practices what he preaches: "People have to take care of themselves physically and spiritually."

Betz's life as a professional psychic began 13 years ago when he unexpectedly stumbled upon the fact that he had a gift. "I would see my friends, and then I would have a flash or a dream about something that would happen, and it would come true," Betz says.

Betz shares his moment of "psychic enlightenment" with other famous clairvoyants in history. Jeanne Dixon, a well-known psychic in the '50s and '60s, is said to remember having premonitions since she was a child: When she was a young girl, she had asked her mother for a letter edged in black, and four days later one came informing the family of her grandfather's death. Another well-known psychic from the '60s, Irene F. Hughes, claims that she had written down the name "Bill" as someone who was to be important in her life, and a few years later met her husband of that name. (Psychic magazine). Then, there are those like Betz, who possessed an acute intuition but did not acknowledge their gift until later in life.

Much like many who came before him, Betz thought this ability was just a phase and ignored it. But the more persistent the flashes were, the more anxious Betz became. His initial fears were soothed by a friend who believed that he possessed a gift and encouraged him to pursue metaphysics.

He began fundamental classes on tarot card reading and spiritual matters, and after earning a certificate in medical and clinical hypnotherapy, he waited for a sign to confirm that life as a clairvoyant was his destiny. As fate would have it, he met a fellow psychic at a stage presentation who gave him the green light. "She said to me 'Where I am, you will be, and when you finish, you will be ready,'" Betz says.

The next day, while in the in the metaphysical section of a bookstore, a woman randomly approached him asking for a reading. A few days later, the owner of another major bookstore came and asked if he was interested in being a feature reader at his store. Soon after, Betz was offered a chance to do readings once a month at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, where he has been working ever since.

A Spiritual Journey

Betz is working his way up through the ranks. He specializes in reiki and personal readings, in which he often uses tarot cards. He has been exposed to numerology and astrology and attends classes in metaphysics. But Betz's life didn't always walk the paranormal line - he used to make big money in real estate but realized his calling and gift could not be ignored forever.

Betz, who was born in West Virginia and raised in Ohio, moved to the Valley in 1972. "Coming to the desert was coming home," Betz says. As a child, his family attended a small, non-denominational community church. When he came to Arizona, he initially lived in Mesa, where he earned an associate's degree in communication at Mesa Community College and was exposed to the Mormon religion to which he eventually converted. Although Betz says he outgrew the faith, he still has an immense respect for it.

Betz's diverse religious background is very common to those who are metaphysical practitioners. Initially, many people attributed psychics and mysticism to Gypsies, but the craft is associated with everything from Christianity to Hinduism. Dixon was a devout Catholic and never hesitated to incorporate her spiritual values into her predictions - she saw her ability as a gift from God. The strong religious associations related to metaphysics were described in a 1969 edition of Psychic magazine: "The present flirtation of science with religion may become a marriage bond if it is found that their mysteries spring from a single source."

A Little Intuition

Like any science or faith, a typical reading for Betz requires a little information. "I usually ask for a person's full name and birthday - and then I meditate in the morning and evening. When I eventually see them, I have a good idea of what is happening in their life."

Through his readings, Betz has helped a decent amount of people. Given his schedule of doing 15 to 20 readings a week for an average of a half hour each, plus meditating on the individuals throughout the day, it has become a full-time job.

In fact, there are many people in Arizona who are in Betz's position. Marian Esther, founder of the Arizona Psychic Alliance, says many of her 173 members, like Betz, work full time in metaphysics; others have kept their day jobs such as psychiatrists, therapists, engineers and even financial planners.

These people, including Betz, have helped many see the light at the end of the tunnel. With everything from cancer treatments to abusive relationships, Betz says he has managed to guide people into making better life choices. But he is also quick to say he can only do so much as a healer. "People have to realize that they are not meant to do exactly what I predict. I just give people a good insight into their future and help them accomplish goals. In a way, I'm a life coach, and I realize that working in this arena has a lot of responsibility," he says.

Betz also helps people realize when opportunity is knocking and they are unaware of it. "With people who come in with relationship questions, I am pretty intuitive - sometimes people say, 'No, there is no one in my life,' but I feel them out a little further, and they say, 'Oh yeah, I didn't think of him,' ... it gets people to think." And logic plays a big role: "If a relationship doesn't work out, it's best to learn the lessons and make an effort not to make the same mistake." But the fine line between spirit and logic makes skeptics wonder if it is necessary to consult a psychic for answers that require simple logic.

Dr. Phil the psychic?

Betz has his role models; many of them are in the TV business since the spiritual connection has transposed itself into mainstream media. Oprah, the pioneer of the lot, has been giving people spiritual makeovers for years now, and both Betz and Esther feel she is truly metaphysical. Following Oprah's footsteps is Dr. Phil. It's hard to believe that a delicate concept like spiritual healing can be accomplished by a straightforward and often harsh approach as that of Dr. Phil's, but Betz just credits him for having a different style. "Some people need a direct reading like what Dr. Phil does, and some people need to love into it - the proof is in the pudding, and if a person has found a way to replace a bad habit, then the job was done," he says.

However, the leader of the pack is John Edwards, the host of the daytime show, "Crossing Over with John Edwards." As a psychic medium, he takes his guests on a walk to the "Other Side," getting in touch with loved ones who have passed so the survivors come to some closure with their loss. Thus, the newest generation of psychics is replacing dark séance rooms and crystal balls for studio lighting and prime-time slots.

The individuals preaching their craft have some equally famous ears listening. Edward sports a celebrity A-list, doing readings for Kirsten Dunst, Ricki Lake, Jenny McCarthy, Gene Simmons and a few Backstreet Boys (you can guess which ones). Clairvoyant of the '70s Eileen J. Garrett advised the likes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Aldous Huxley. Even Hilary Rodham Clinton has been known to use New-Age psychic Jean Houston to talk to the spirit of Eleanor Roosevelt and Mohandas Gandhi. Nowadays, it seems that everyone is just looking for a little guidance and spiritual healing.

It's in the stars

Betz's latest project is his healing center located in north Phoenix in which he plans to give the people what they want spiritually. Located in the least-expected neighborhood, the house, which was built in the 1930s, is a tranquil haven amidst the bustling city. It has rooms perfect for reading, a sprawling garden and an old shed that will be turned into a reiki center. "I love my home in Tempe, but when I drove by this place, I just knew it was time for me to move. I want it to be a spiritual refuge." Don't expect banners and postcards in the mail when the healing center finally opens - Betz insists that his new place is going to be a word-of-mouth retreat.

Betz sees a book in the future and possibly a radio deal. When it comes to metaphysics, you don't have to be able to decipher a chakra from an aura, and you don't even have to be intuitive. You just have be willing to work for the "higher good" because, as Betz claims, in life "there are no coincidences - we choose our own path."

Articles: State Press Magazine

Local clairvoyant James Betz is just a regular guy with a gift. By Rekha Muddaraj, State Press Magazine

Articles: State Press Magazine

Local clairvoyant James Betz is just a regular guy with a gift.

By Rekha Muddaraj, State Press Magazine