To Be Confirmed

Yesterday, while travelling back from some serious flat hunting, I happened to tune into Radio Two and was delighted to hear an interview with Richard Wiseman promoting his latest book. Whilst I was trying to decide whether being dubbed the ‘most quoted psychologist’ in the media was a good or bad thing along popped the next segment on Monday’s show; the live astrologer.

During this segment Sara Delphi, the astrologer, goes through the various astrological signs and gives vague predictions apparently based on the position of the planets. People then call in to tell her their star sign’s and their particular problem, since Sara also claims to be a clairvoyant (is there no end to her mystical powers?) one presumes this is a formality for our behalf. Sara proceeds to give people advice according to what the stars/planets are telling her. It was during this particular part of the programme that Sara felt confident enough in her pseudoscience to give someone financial advice and another advice to change her career, during a recession, based purely on the position of the planets. This is horrendous and despicable behaviour, she has absolutely no qualifications that suggest she is in any position to give this sort of advice.

Perhaps some could dismiss this as harmless fun but this is a very delicate time for a lot of families who are struggling to make ends meet and one of the most listened to radio stations in the UK is promoting advice based on nonsense. They should be telling those in financial trouble to seek advice from a FINANCIAL advisor not a crystal healing, psychic astrologer.

I always though that Steve Wright had come across fairly sceptical in the past so I was appalled to not only hear this segment on his show but later find out it is a regular Monday feature. Despite the slightly mocking tone he took with Sara Delphi he still gave her a platform on which to promote astrology as a legitimate means for making life decisions and giving advice on important issues which it quite blatantly is not.

I very much doubt that Sara Delphi will read this but should she and then have any problems with my questioning the validity of her psuedoscientific belief and her ability as a clairvoyant then I would invite her to take up the James Randi Million Dollar Challenge, which is offered to anyone who an show, under proper observing conditions, evidence of any paranormal, supernatural, or occult power or event. I don’t fancy her chances though; since it’s conception in 1964 the challenge is yet to unearth anyone that can even pass the preliminary test.