Of all of the “famous” people in the world to call me, it had to be her!?

It was March 2007 when I learned about Sylvia Browne’s new “official” online discussion group.  GoSylviaBrowne.com.  I checked it out and immediately noticed a particular line on the home page.  “After spending a lot of time researching Sylvia on the Internet, I have found that there is not a single “all-encompassing” resource enabling Sylvia fans to unite.”

What?  There are several “all-encompassing” resources enabling Sylvia fans to unite!  We’ve been doing it since the late 1990’s!!!  But, in the spirit of camaraderie I sent an email to the webmaster telling them that I have been doing this (online Sylvia Browne discussion groups) since the 90’s, I am a Novitiate with the Society of Novus Spiritus and that I knew the concepts like the back of my hand and if she needed any help, I would be happy to assist. 

I did, however, mention that the second paragraph of her site was belittling to the many who’ve devoted the last decade to spreading the concepts and discussing the books.  She (Heather Brown) emailed me back sarcastically picking apart every little word I wrote with a tinge of niceness to it. 

Around a half an hour later the phone rang and my husband picked it up.  He said it was Mike McClellan and that Sylvia Browne would like to speak to me.  My husband asked what she wanted to talk to me about and Mike McClellan said something to the effect that Sylvia was addressing a question that I had asked her.  I never asked Sylvia Browne any question!  I don’t need to!!  He all-out lied!

Mike M. asked us to keep the line open because Sylvia would be calling in a minute or so.  Novus Spiritus has my phone number on file because I was at one time a study group and had been a Novitiate since 2002.

Keep in mind that at this time, the fact that GoSylviaBrowne was run by the girlfriend of Paul Defresne was not public knowledge yet.  I had no idea why Sylvia Browne would be calling me!  We were giddy as school kids thinking that after all these years, Sylvia Browne was going to acknowledge all of the hard work that I’ve done, learning the concepts and promoting her work!

When she called, I thought it was a joke.  I asked what ‘Punk’-like show she was from and she half-heartedly laughed, obviously used to people making a big deal about her.  Then she got real serious and said, “Why did you send that nasty email?” 

Nasty?  It wasn’t nasty!  It might have been a little snarky by touting my knowledge and ability but nasty?  No way!!  I’m not like that!!  And I told her so!!  I was genuinely offering my assistance in making the group successful should they need any help…which I was quickly informed that they didn’t!

I think that she wanted me to bow to her, what with her fame and all but I refused to say that my email to Heather Brown was nasty.  I did apologize if it was taken out of context but I refused to say that I regretted it or took back one single word.  She was stumped!

I told her that I have been running a very successful discussion group that covered ONLY Sylvia’s work and I asked her if she was familiar with it.  She replied with, “Honey!  I’ve been doing this for 54 years!  Of course I know what you’ve been doing.”  54 years…it’s always 54 years…

I asked her if she specifically knew about Master Peace, my MSN Discussion Group that thanklessly promoted her work for almost a decade and she said “of course“.  No “thank you” or anything that could even be considered as thank you.  Funny, all of the site meters attached to the site didn’t even show a bleep from her area…

She tried one more time to get me to admit that I was wrong in my email exchange and by this time my husband was hovering at an uncomfortable distance ready to grab the phone should I feel pressured into bowing to the Almighty Sylvia Browne.  But, there was no way that was gonna happen.  I did nothing wrong.  I did ask her to pass along my apology to the webmaster if they took the email out of context and I would send her an email to that affect but I did say that I felt that the second paragraph of her home page was belittling to all of her faithful fans who’ve spent countless hours on their discussion groups when Sylvia told me “Honey, I wrote that.  She didn’t write it!”

Later comparisons to Robert Lancaster’s home page for StopSylviaBrowne.com revealed that GoSylviaBrowne’s homepage was almost identical to his.Hmmm….and I thought that this was an unaffiliated, independent online discussion group!  I didn’t understand why they would lie! 

After the phone call I knew that I was completely over Sylvia Browne and The Society of Novus Spiritus.  She showed no signs of being nice, appreciative or spiritual as she claims to be.  I knew from the few Montel Williams shows that I did watch that she was condescending and downright sarcastic with her followers but now I knew it first-hand.

It may seem real petty for me to be offended by the quip in her home page but it really does seem to me to be offensive.  But, as I found out in the April 2007 Society of Novus Spiritus monthly newsletter, which you can read in full on StopSylviaBrowne.com, online discussion groups were no longer permitted other than this new “endorsed” discussion group.  Hmm…”A Matter of Control” indeed!

I sat down and called my friend, Nancy who was at the time a minister with the church and we were completely blown away! 
(Nancy has since resigned from The Society)

Sylvia claims to be a psychic, right?
Well, earlier that week I had devastating news about my brother and I was having serious heart issues as I have serious heart disease.  Now, either Sylvia Browne is a vicious, kick a person when they’re down type or she’s not psychic at all. 
Hmmm….or maybe both!
I never did believe in Sylvia Browne the psychic.  I just liked her books.

Now those books, my Novitiate Exam and the books I had to buy in order to take the stupid test are all ashes.  A true lover of books burned each one!  It was truly a cleansing experience!  I could have sold them or even given them away but I didn’t want anyone else falling into the trap that my friends and I fell into.  I felt like I was saving the world!

I will continue being vocal about this cause, of exposing Sylvia Browne for what she really is, with the same verocity I did in promoting her work.  I believe that it is the right thing to do.