Resume & Brief Biog

Biog Details & Interview

Sarah De La Mer

Brief BIOG details

I have written columns & numerous articles for many publications including Irish Independent, Sunday World, RTE Guide, Social and Personal Magazine, Cork Echo, Belfast Telegraph, Dear Sarah column for The Star (psychic agony aunt page), XPOSE magazine,

OM TIMES, Star Scope ~ book published by Poolbeg

Educated at Gordano Comprehensive School in Portishead, Stirling University BA hons in English (with Philosophy and Religious Studies subsidiaries), MSC from Edinburgh University in Modernism and Postmodernism, M PHil in PUblishing from Stirling University, and studying independently to finish PHD from UCD (Philosophy).

TV experience: Irish Popstars for Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell (also shown on ITV in the UK), Ryan Tubridy Show, You’re A Star, Ireland AM, TTV, Celebrity Farm, Dustin the Turkey, The Cafe, The Afternoon Show, Podge and Rodge.

Radio Stuff: Newstalk, 98 FM, Talk Sport UK, Spanish Radio, Una Power Show, Cork Red FM, RTE Radio 1 and 2,

Gerry Ryan Show, Marian Finucanne Show, Tom Dunne Show, East Coast FM, Q 102, 104 FM, Corks RED FM. CBS ~ Soul to Soul Show,

The World PUJA Network ~ Heart to Heart Show.

INTERVIEW for RSVP Magazine

(please note I am now retired in this aspect of my work)

Irish Psychic Sarah De La Mer is well-known in Irish circles. Here we hear about an average day in the life of a psychic.

What is it like being a psychic for a living?

Well I am not going to rave about it as I have mixed feelings. This work is quite vocational and it is certainly not a glitzy, glamourous job once you scratch beneath the surface. You can face some quite interesting challenges whilst processing people’s stuff. But it is something that I take very seriously. It is a huge responsibility to be trying to help someone when they are perhaps at their most vulnerable. I have to have absolute faith that the person who has asked for help will be helped. It just goes to show that you are given the people that you really can help.

It is fundamentally important never to work just ‘for the money’. Ironically you won’t last long in this ‘business’ if you have the wrong impulses and motivations. Spiritual law has a habit of tripping you up if you get too big for your boots.

It is not an easy path to take. I have been put through the wringer energetically on more than one occasion. It is not a career I would recommend to anyone; mainly because it is not actually a career at all. More often than not you simply work away as guided. You could get a phone call for a radio slot one minute, an email needing the week’s copy the next, a sports guy needing a quick fix at lunch time and by the end of the day two parents on the phone wanting some advice about their child.

I do love the rewarding aspect of what I do. It is great to see someone dealing with a really difficult situation walk out the door with a spring in their step. I try to make the sessions as empowering as possible and don’t encourage a dependency on what I do. I am actually happy if they never feel the need to see me again, so long as we have shifted the issue which was oppressing them.

I see what I do as a form of life coaching in a way. It is always important to make sure the person is functioning as fully as possible in all the areas of their life and to go over every aspect in which they feel stuck.

Who is your typical customer?

I know many people assume it is mainly women interested in this kind of work. But nothing could be further from the truth. Men are human and need help too, though they are admittedly more pragmatic creatures. Sometimes the people looking for help are vulnerable; but more often than not they simply need guidance. I have dealt with people experiencing a whole spectrum of issues. Of course client confidentiality is important. In general terms you could say I have had to get a handle on just about everything from High Court shenanigans, divorce settlements, conception and sex of children, illness, depression, work, relationships, money, to serious business dealings. You name it.

I tend to steer clear of party bookings and entertainment events where people assume you will come along and give some light hearted banter along with some cheery inoffensive predictions. I cannot do flippant or superfluous readings. That is not really what it is all about. I prefer to dig deep and really help someone with whatever it is they are facing.

What happens at a reading?

I am primarily clairsentient which means I get the feeling ‘from the heart’. I use intuition and tune-in to what I feel the person needs to hear. This is most certainly not the same thing as what they want to hear; though thankfully it sometimes is.

I guess you could say it is better to empty your head and heart of any expectations. Every reading and healing has its organic process and follows its own flow. There is absolutely NO point in trying to second guess what is happening nor what is going to happen. Also it is completely necessary to switch off from one’s own life and issues otherwise you are not giving the person the 100% they deserve.

I actually stopped readings for a few years for this reason. I needed to stop, recharge, reflect and sort things out. Even now, I will not see a client if I am not in the right space to help as I do not think it is fair on them. Where it is urgent though, I will always make myself available.

A reading usually builds in layers. Someone can sit there and say absolutely nothing at all. Or they can chip in and ask questions as we go. It can be as interactive or as hands free as you like. I think the end result is the same though. I like to make sure people get what they are paying for, so I think it is important that they think about it in advance and make sure all their issues are covered.

Once I start the info flows and specific names, timings and places pop into my head. These are usually a signal to steer us to the next subject. The names and places are always accurate ie. Margaret will always be Margaret not Mary or Matilda.

Destiny can be quite cute, leading us down paths we do not intend for ourselves. I have tried to step off the wheel believe me; but to no avail. This is obviously what I am meant to be doing.

Is it possible to follow an orthodox religion and have an interest in fortune telling and horoscopes?

I figure God made the stars in the heavens above and what is good enough for the three wise men is good enough for me. The most ancient religion Zoroastrianism combined the use of astrology and strong faith, so these two aspects of spirituality have not always been at loggerheads. The Vatican has tarot symbolism strongly imprinted in its architecture and many of the French cathedrals use the astrological signs in their stained glass windows. In Medieval times the boundaries were most definitely blurred.

I do admit though that I have walked the tightrope on this one. I have really struggled with it actually. I think the term ‘Christian Mystic’ just about sums up where I am coming from. This work has strengthened my faith, not diminished it.

Some people believe that tarot cards are dangerous and belong to the dark side.

I would say that in the wrong hands they could certainly be misleading and therefore dangerous. But in the right hands they can be a powerful and informative tool. Tarot cards reflect our situation and it can be quite amazing what they do reveal. Really though they are a simply a tool for the reader which helps focus the mind. They are not magical, though they are beguiling.

I have no doubt that séances and Ouija boards are dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. If I had a teenage daughter the last thing I would want her to be doing is sitting up in her room with a pack of cards. Any dependency on this can be dangerous. Frequent readings can begin to block a person’s life flow while they await events which in truth may never happen.

I always advise clients to trust and listen to their own hunches and intuitions for this is how I believe God guides us. If we all learned to listen to the whisperings of our hearts, we would be in a better place anyway.

But of course life is not a picnic and strong guidance gleaned from a gifted intuitive can be timely, pertinent and helpful. The advice of a good reader can actually be tremendously reassuring and healing. But equally we could say ‘let go and let God’ and we would probably end up in the same place.

Does the psychic gift run through your family?

NO there is most definitely not a history of this in my family. It was not tarot cards at dawn; it was church on Sunday. Having said that, my grandpa Fred would often describe my Scorpio Nan as a ‘white witch who should be burned at the stake’! Nan would get strong intuitions on random visitors and coincidentally prepare their favourite food the day before; that kind of thing.

Between the ages of 9 and 11 I used to wake in the night of my half underground room and see the shimmering silhouette of a Napoleonic soldier in my room. It didn’t alarm me. It was more a case of ‘oh there he is again’. It wasn’t until I studied history at secondary school that I learned that my parent’s house is built at the site of an old Napoleonic fort.

I never fully understood why I didn’t drink, smoke or do drugs at any point. When my healing ability became apparent this made more sense to me. A clear channel has to be; well a clear channel.

Which star signs work best together and which star signs should avoid each other?

Fellow Earth signs Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn always connect well and have balanced, sensual, laid back relationships. The only down side is the inevitable clash of wills from time to time. When they blow they blow, but it is not long before calm descends and the Zodiac bull grazes on and the Virgo gets on with the housework. Earth signs can be pretty stubborn and like to get their own way. But, mutable, practical Virgo will more often than not adapt to the dictates of their Taurus or Capricorn partner when push comes to shove.

Water signs Pisces, Cancer, and Scorpio understand each other but things can get over emotional and off balance quite quickly. These are not necessarily practical matches, but there is always an intuitive telepathy, connection and empathy. Loaded, emotive relationships which can expend a lot of energy and wear you down; but on the up side make you feel like you are really living and experiencing something. Never dull anyway.

Fire Signs Aries, Leo and Sagittarius generate a lot of heat. But these signs like to hold onto their freedom and get their own way. Aries is the Zodiac kid who doesn’t inevitably mix long term with Sagittarius who hates to bend to anyone’s will. But these are great passionate connections. Loyalty is rarely an issue once the commitments are made; but it takes a long time for long term agreements to find their feet. Patience is needed in the early stages. Fire signs are perhaps better off mixing with Earth to encourage a bit of stability and grounded, adult behaviour.

Air Signs Gemini, Libra and Aquarius can mix and match with most signs. They generally hate disharmony and seek to maintain independence. They do things in their own way, communicate with whom they please, and generally encourage loved ones to do the same. These are not obviously romantic signs, so the likes of Pisces might feel short-changed and Earth signs may find there is not enough of a sensual hands-on action. These signs can be kooky and you need to understand the language of love of your Air sign or you could take offense quite quickly. They do not do things by the book.

Aries and Pisces can be a challenging mix, as can Sagittarius and Scorpio. They do say that adjacent signs have an understanding of each other. But it could be a case of not sufficiently different, so things get stale and fraught more easily.

Aries and Taurus have longevity having said that. The likes of Bono and Ali, Posh and Becks have the staying power so long as they are not confined to 24/7 scenarios. An independent streak is needed if you are in a relationship with an adjacent zodiac sign.

They say that opposites attract and this is true in the zodiac where polar opposite signs are often drawn together in quite a magnetic way. Soul mates are often opposite signs or there are string components in their charts demonstrating the attraction of opposites.

Then of course there are the same sign relationships, which have a habit of becoming familial quite quickly; more a case of brother and sister or sibling than lover and partner. I think the most bizarre would be Taurus female with Sagittarius male; though if it works, don’t knock it.

How significant is the moon on our moods –

do the mad really get madder when the moon is full?

In Astrology, the moon governs our moods, and I guess you could say there is such a thing as moon madness alright. Women and Cancerians are generally in tune with the moon’s cycles, whether they are aware of it or not. It is very common for women who live or work together to have in sync menstrual cycles. Few people will disagree that there is a tangible atmosphere when the moon is full. Even those who don’t pay astrology much heed are usually aware of it. When I worked as hostess at The Kitchen nightclub Full Moon nights were always eventful and fun packed with madness (for all the wrong reasons).

The moon’s cycles can be a useful tool for different processes. The new moon carries the energy of a fresh start and the waxing moon is good for creative projects and expansive processes. Don’t begin a diet on a waxing moon; begin it after the full moon as the moon begins to wane. The waning moon facilitates any letting go process we have to undergo. So if relationship issues have gone a bit haywire with the mad full moon, these can be dealt with as the moon wanes. Often a relationship will disintegrate on a waning moon if that is the way it has been heading. As the moon grows full its energy helps us to meet deadlines and put good energy into what needs attention.

The cycles of the moon through the calendar month is sometimes underestimated. I always feel it is very significant and worth keeping an eye on. It is good to know your moon sign for this can bring a great understanding of your emotional responses in all possible situations. Never mind the madness; it pays to be Moon smart and savvy.

How would one of our readers get a reading with you?

I do offer this service on my landline by appointment. I always explain to a prospective client that there is actually no need to travel to see me. The information is exactly the same and I can tune-in just as well on the phone.

I actually do not understand completely how it is possible, except to say that it is a pretty good demonstration that psychic ability really does exist. I guess I now have enough experience and confidence to offer this service and to know that the information comes through and the healing takes place, even though I am not physically there.

That shows me too, that it is not actually me doing most of the work anyway. I guess we are back to the mystery of what happens with a healing or a reading. Something otherworldly seems to occur and I have heard clients describe a tingling whilst talking things through. That would be both on the phone and face to face.

When I first had a healing practice I used to do both healings and readings; but very quickly found that the two were interchangeable. I now know that the healing takes place and that I do not have to do a hands-on formal healing for the client.

Has the economy had an effect on the number of people seeking readings?

I am not sure really. I feel people are only prompted to enquire about a reading when they really need one. It is a steady phenomenon which ebbs and flows. I am looked after too in this and I generally do not get enquiries when I am up to my eyes with something. I just have to listen to what is being asked of me and say YES to requests when they come in.

Going into a new year more people make enquiries I would say. But I do not think I noticed an unusual increase because of the recession. People usually enquire when they want insight on relationship issues. The recession really has nothing to do with that, so I do not expect a change; either an upsurge or a decline. It happens when it happens, recession or not.

I find that clients are guided to the right reader for them; perhaps one on their wave length, or someone who is able to help with their unique problem. I think we are all looked after in this respect.

Of course we want good news during this time of recession; but I cannot conjure up good news out of nothing. I believe we all have to take responsibility for our lives; whatever a psychic might advise. I always recommend The Secret by Rhonda Byrne to people. But the problem is with all this talk of recession, we are all creating the opposite problem; The Secret in reverse if you like.

I really believe we can create negative situations for ourselves with the wrong mind set. The media has compounded the problem too. There is no doubt there is something going on; but I believe it ultimately gives us the opportunity to get back on track.

There is a blessing in every challenge I believe. People now have an opportunity to rethink their lives and focus on what is really right for them going forward. Rather than staying in an unfulfilling situation or dead end job, there is an opportunity to simplify life and go back to what is important.

I am a great believer in looking for the silver lining in the cloud which looms over head. You want the good news? It won’t last as long as we all think. It is pointless holding onto the past, so as a nation we must release the Celtic Tiger from our psyche. Even more importantly we must release the word ‘recession’ from our psyche. Let it be the word that no one dares to utter! For as long as we bang on about it, be assured we are perpetuating the problem.

Can you tell me about successful predictions you ever made?

I was called onto the Tony Fenton Show shortly after the predicting the full line up of the Irish Popstars band SIX. I was sitting at home in my work room and after our interview, he jokingly asked me to tell him what record he was going to play. I said, U2’s Beautiful Day! Apparently Tony just about fell off his seat, as there was no way I could possibly have known that. I freaked myself out a bit with that one as I had never listened to the Tony Fenton show before and had no clue about his play list or anything.

The SIX prediction caught people’s imagination in Ireland. I had put six names in an envelope in October 2001 having briefly met and read for the final 32 contestants of the show. I knew Louis Walsh was sold on Nadine Coyle, he made that abundantly clear; but she wasn’t in my envelope. The band was decided on in early 2002 and the envelope was opened by Louis on camera (probably after the production team had checked it).

As we are all aware Nadine was too young to be in SIX and she was unceremoniously removed from the show. Some people thought it was all a set up for the cameras, but I can assure you it was not. The production team was really disappointed Nadine was not of age. Anyhow Nadine’s replacement Sarah Keating was the sixth name Louis called out from the envelope which was really affirming for Sarah as she had felt a bit awkward being called in at last minute.