After sending a few emails back and forth, the day has finally arrived for my phone interview with Lydia Solini. I am sitting in a small room with a cheap cell phone, pink laptop, and a charger…just in case, I’m eager for the clock to strike three-fifteen for our appointment. When the time comes I rapidly dial the long-distance number to Vermont and wait for an answer. “Hello?” It was her; the woman, the adviser, the one with the answers, Lydia Solini. She has a caring voice. After quick greetings and a brief introduction, the life story of Lydia Solini poured into my recorder. From the young age of ten, Lydia Solini was supported by her mother and grandmother to become a professional psychic. Always intuitive about herself and others, Lydia has studied astrology and psychic development and has been giving readings for more than twenty-five years. She was taught by a professional astrologer to learn the real workings of the stars. She gave up her Friday afternoon to tell me how it all began. She even gives her own personal tips on how to find a trustworthy source.
B: Ms. Solini, when people ask you your profession, what do you tell them?
LS: That I’m a Certified Astrologer and an Intuitive.
B: What’s their first reaction?
LS: I would say 75 percent of the time people are really receptive and curious; and 25 percent of the time they’ve had no real experience with anything like psychics or astrologers so they can sometimes be taken back but there may be a hint of curiosity about what I do because they will ask me about what it all means to be an Astrologer or an Intuitive.
B: Right, exactly. Did you ever think that psychic and astrological readings would become your profession?
LS: No. Not until I got a little bit older, in my twenties. I didn’t think of it when I was younger because what I did and what I was curious about seemed so natural I thought everyone lived that way. Some people in my family were able to tune into each other and offer perceptive advice and support. My friends always asked me what I thought or saw and I soon realized I was giving readings to everybody. When an opportunity came along to study Astrology with a professional Astrologer, I felt compelled to learn everything I could on the topic. And fortunately for me after a four-year study program I learned every facet of Astrology to my satisfaction and my teachers and I felt very excited about adding this to my Intuitive abilities. For the first-year I give free readings, I honed my skills and started to figure out what worked and what types of readings I wanted to do, over the years the list has grown!
B: So, before you realized that you had these skills, were you interested in horoscopes and astrology because of your family?
LS: Yes, I was. I’ve been interested in it since I was ten.
B: Oh ok, wow. So, when you first realized your interests in astrology; did you tell anybody?
LS: Yes, I told my grandmother and my mother. My grandmother was already a fan of astrology.
B: Oh, ok. That makes sense.
LS: When I first started studying Astrology (information was limited to the sun signs and I was really young so I didn’t have too many ways of finding more books on the subject). I started to realize just how much sense it made and I started to really understand people better and I stopped being hurt or upset by the things people said and did and I could see its benefits immediately in my life. My family and friends were coming to me for advice and in a way, they were already pin-pointing my interests by doing this. It was natural, I mean really natural, it evolved over time so I was not assuming this is what I am going to do. I always enjoyed thinking and intuiting for others about their problems and I always wanted to help others.
B: Right, so are people in your family astrologists, or psychics, or how are they connected to that?
LS: Well, no one in my family does it professionally but my mother and father are intuitive, my cousin connects with souls who have pasted on and my other cousin reads tarot cards. Most people in my family share the gift of intuition. But nobody in my family has ever done astrology or psychic readings professionally. We are a close-knit kind of family and we share our gifts with each other.
B: But they do support you, like you would like them to, right?
LS: Yes, absolutely!
B: What exactly is your process when someone asks you to do a reading for them?
LS: The first thing I ask people for is their birth date, their place of birth, and their time of birth, then I draw up their birth chart. Typically, this is all I need; even when someone can’t find their birth time I am able to give them a reading using their birth date. But I also talk to people. I ask them if there is anything going on in their life that they are concerned about, and I look at their birth date or birth chart for ways to collaborate what they are feeling. Sometimes we pinpoint one thing as being a problem but it may be something else when this happens I explain what I feel it is and then I make a suggestion as to what reading will be most helpful.
B: I understand. Do their stories ever make you get emotionally attached to the client?
LS: I care about my clients and their welfare, of course. But I don’t worry or feel as though I’m not able to do enough. Because early on I learned when I first started giving readings, that you can’t help somebody when you take on their problems and become so emotionally involved that you’re unable to see what they need, and what they are feeling. I really work diligently at being kind, loving and compassionate, but objective. I have a strong belief in my clients and their abilities.
B: Would you say you had to teach yourself not to become attached to the client?
LS: Well, years ago, when I first started reading, I studied with a woman who helped me fine tune certain psychic skills. And one of the practices I learned was to leave any of my issues at the door before I walk into my office to see a client. The other was to suspend all judgment because everybody’s different and their process is different and what they need to do is different. I was also taught what my role really was. And that was to express true compassion. I definitely learned that. When clients contact me and they are upset we set up an appointment and I give them a reading and some personal guidance. When they are in need of spiritual support I pray for them. And I may send them healing energy during a certain time when they need it. Through all of this I always believe in my client’s abilities to solve their own problems or difficulties because they wouldn’t experience those problems or difficulties if they were not capable of handling them…we receive the lessons we are supposed to learn.
B: Right, I totally understand. So, what’s your advice to readers who think they have psychic abilities or want to have a career in something involving psychic reading or astrology, and how should they get involved?
LS: Well, my advice is, Brea, don’t just read books and set up shop. Go and learn! Join some astrological and metaphysical psychic organizations and really learn your skills; because that’s the one thing that’s so important. There are plenty of organizations you can join and people you can study with. The American Federation of Astrologers has been around forever. But online there are some very credible ones. The great thing about these organizations is that they have conferences where you can go for three or four days and some of the greats in astrology speak. You need to find a teacher, a real professional Psychic or Astrologer to learn from and to mentor you. Find someone who is willing to give classes. You cannot learn astrology in six months. You can develop your psychic ability greatly in six months if you’re going weekly and you’re doing all the work. But really learn it. I have met many people who identify themselves as astrologers. But when I ask them who they studied with they tell me they learned Astrology through books they don’t attend any conferences and don’t have a teacher or mentor. Half the astrological subjects I mention, they don’t even know about. If you are going to be advising people you should be well versed in the subject so you don’t give bad advice because clients are depending on you. There is always room for improvement in everyone’s life so take the time to really learn. When you are ready, your teacher will come, and that’s true for any profession you are interested in pursuing.
B: Do you think it’s hard to establish yourself as a credible psychic with all the frauds out there?
LS: I personally don’t feel it is challenging to appear credible. I think that I’ve always been such a grounded person that when people meet me, talk to me or check out my website, they see or feel that I’m intelligent and I’m not espousing something wacky which makes me credible. When I communicate, I speak in understandable terms, I am compassionate and knowledgeable which also helps clients trust me. I also feel that everyone has intuition which they use consciously or unconsciously when dealing with others, and that is another way for clients to see that I am credible. I also have lots of testimonials on my website that clients graciously sent me because of the readings I have given them or the classes I have taught them.
B: Sounds interesting. Yes, just by talking to you for this interview, I can tell that you know what you’re talking about and you’re not just someone who learned from a textbook. That’s awesome.
LS: I appreciate that. I feel really committed to others and feel lucky. I’ve been very blessed to be able to have a career that really excites me and helps others in the process. And I am grateful for the testimonials that clients have written, about the readings I’ve done. I feel so fortunate because even if I saw a client once, during a time of distress about childhood experiences, or a marriage breaking up, they really wanted to understand themselves and the important people in their lives; what was happening and why; it is sometimes just the thing they needed to give them the impetus to take action or see the situation more clearly. I will sometimes hear back from clients many months or even years later and they say “this Reading really changed my life; I see myself differently, I’m living my life the way I have always dreamed.” That is such a gift!
B: Great, so my last question, what are your top three tips on finding a good and reliable psychic astrologer?
LS: I think the first thing is to read their online biography. Where did they study and what do they believe? The second thing is to talk to them. Anybody that is going to give you a reading or a class, you should be able to have a conversation with that person before you purchase a reading or make an appointment so you feel confident moving forward. And I think the third thing is to follow your instincts. Don’t ignore them, because everyone is intuitive. If you don’t get a great feeling, thank the person for their time and look elsewhere.
B: Well, that was so helpful. Thank you so much for your time and advice.
LS: Anytime Brea, thanks for choosing me for your article!
Interview by B Porter on May 3, 2011