Theresa Fernand works with tarot cards, charms and crystals, or what she calls “tools for intuitive information, confirmation and extra validation.”
“I channel and download information,” Ms. Fernand, 51, said. “I also give intuitive coaching and guidance, along with predictions.”
If all this sounds more therapeutic than psychic, that’s not far from the truth. Ms. Fernand said she often acts as “a check-in for people while increasing their clarity about their life and the direction it will go.”
“Aside from making predictions, I help people, and many couples, see their life and the possibilities in front of them,” she said.
Ms. Fernand, who lives in Boca Raton, Fla., has been hired for psychic readings at dozens of bridal showers and bachelorette parties around the country and a handful of weddings, where guests ask her questions about families, finances and much more.
Her prices vary widely, but she typically charges about $350 for a cocktail hour at a wedding and $750 for three to four hours at a bachelorette party with up to a dozen attendees. In the interview below, which has been edited, she talks about the experience.
What is the goal of a reading?
Whether it’s a five- or 10-minute reading at a wedding, or a 75-minute phone or in-person session, the goal is to leave the person feeling inspired, motived and moved by what I’ve shared. I want to give them confirmation, information and validation about their uncertainty.
Why do people hire you for weddings?
Couples want to give their guests a highly experiential gift, something that’s completely interactive and different. A reading brings connection, excitement and laughter. You’re leaving with something more important than chocolate or wine. You’re leaving with a personalized experience.
What are the best cards to receive during a reading that might indicate marriage, love and the future?
The sun, which indicates someone is having a child, usually a boy; the star, which usually signifies a soul mate or that there is divine orchestration in finding a soul mate; and four of wands, which means celebration and marriage. The 10 of pentacles means you, or a couple, have everything — security, plentifulness, that one’s future looks financially and emotionally secure. Other favorites are kings and queens in an upright position, facing me, which could indicate a strong union or a good match.
How does your bag of charms work?
I have a bag with 50 or so charms that I use at events like weddings and bridal parties that are a light way of making things interactive. People are intrigued immediately.
They’re as simple as a heart, a four-leaf clover or a butterfly, which signifies transformation. Or they’re more specific and unusual, like a charm in the shape of a playing card with a Jack on it, which represents someone might be manipulating you, that you’re being played, or that you, yourself, are a player.
I’ll ask someone to reach in and pull out a number of charms. Some take three, others take a fistful. Then I read what’s in their hand. When charms are upright, they have different meanings than when they are on their side. If the frog wearing a crown is laying on its side on someone’s palm, it usually means that you’re brokenhearted. If it’s standing upright, your person is nearby or on their way.
You also provide intuitive coaching for couples. Why do people come to you instead of a therapist?
A therapist tells you how to think about things and brings up what’s going on, and they traditionally listen. I’m not listening — I’m feeling. I read from an emotional, intuitive and psychic impression. If I tell you something about yourself that you’re struggling with before you reveal it to me, you have a base to trust the advice I give.
How does couples coaching work?
I do a 90-minute session: 30 solo minutes for each person and 30 minutes together. People want to reveal a pain point privately or ask questions about their partner without them hearing it. I’ve seen 70-plus couples over the past decade.
As a couple, they are undergoing this experience and validating it together rather than one person bringing their story of what happened here back home. They’re also gaining understanding, clarity and evidence to their struggles, which increases their connectivity and communication.
My job is to give them a new perspective, and for them to make decisions as a couple.
What have you learned about people?
Most couples don’t communicate in an effective way. Most people don’t take the advice I give them. They get stuck in their ego and negative story.
Also, they don’t want to take risks, be vulnerable or put themselves out there. They aren’t always interested in taking a path that will take them to the next place, even if it’s short term. And they want quick fixes. I can’t give them that. I can give them guidance and checkpoints along the way to their goals. But most people want their right person, right now.
What end-of-the-year activity can you suggest for someone looking for love?
Focusing on something specific sets an intention. As ridiculous as this sounds, write a love letter to someone as if you already know they exist. Rather than using the computer, put pen to paper because then you’re energetically putting an imprint into the world. This creates and puts vibrations and magnetizations into the universe.
Write not what you want, but how you want this relationship to feel. People do vision boards, but they don’t focus on feelings. Burn the letter afterward to release the stuck feelings and to move the energy forward. For those excited and who feel attached to what they’ve written, carry it with you, and sleep with it under your pillow.
And for those in a relationship?
I tell couples, especially ones that are struggling, to write down 20 things you love about the person you’re with. This reminds them of why they fell in love and refreshes their connection.
A lot of people focus on what’s wrong. Here you’re focusing on the simple joy of what’s good. People toast at New Year’s to what they want. This makes them look at what’s right in front of them. Most couples share their list with each other, taking turns.
