We had the honour to talk with Cari Roy, a psychic and medium based in New Orleans, an awesome and spiritual city that influence the work of Miss Roy. Without further ado, let’s go to the interview!
How did you discover your gift?
I think it is interesting that I come from a family of psychics, mediums, astrologers, numerologists… My father was an opera singer and still is a painter – very much on the creative side. My mother was a psychic and medium, also a poetess and a pianist. So, quite a well-rounded family. My grandfather, in addition to being a numerologist and an astrologer, was also an engineer and a songwriter. So, go figure how all these things join together.
How do you combine astrology with your medium work? How do you believe they combine?
I first learned Astrology from my maternal grandfather who was a master of that craft. However, my mediumship came more from his daughter, my mother. The only way that I combine these 2 skills is that astrology can help pinpoint some of the best times that the spirit world aligns more closely with our world. An example is Halloween time when the veil between the world is often the thinnest. This happens under the influence of Scorpio which is ruled by Pluto, the Lord of the Underworld, and I have no question that these 2 things are related. I believe all Scorpio aspects in one’s personal and the world’s astrological charts can heighten communication with our departed. I personally have several strong Scorpio placements in my astrological chart that support my abilities to be a medium and these were supported by my elders as a child.
You are the number #1 psychic medium to see in New Orleans by Travel Channel and the #1 in the list for the US according to BBC America. First of all, congratulations because that is very special. To what do you attribute that success, that unique trait that you don’t see in other professionals?
Thank you so much for your kind words. Yes, I have achieved a certain recognition for what I do professionally and I attribute a great deal of that to a combination of skill, luck and the support of those who helped me along my path. At this point in time I am the oldest, continually reading psychic medium in New Orleans as I started my career as a professional psychic medium nearly 40 years ago. All of the old time readers here, who came before me have passed on, and have passed the mantle on to me and I am now reaching back to help the young readers come along on their way. Also New Orleans is a city long associated with the mystical and paranormal so it is something that is viewed as part of our culture here.
You mentioned on your website that you left New York for New Orleans, your spiritual home. How does the city influence your work?
After completing my university studies and spending approximately ten years in New York, I returned to New Orleans. Throughout my time there, I never truly felt like I belonged. Interestingly, even now, it remains challenging for me to leave New Orleans. In fact, I don’t travel much because it seems like everyone drawn towards this vibrant city.
We are a very superstitious city: we are very Catholic, we believe in saints, there are altars everywhere for Saint Joseph’s Day. We believe in supernatural beings and that they can influence our presence – be that through Catholicism, Voodoo, Wicca or other.
In New Orleans, seeking guidance from psychics and mediums has been an integral part of our culture, dating back to the days of Marie Laveau, renowned as the Voodoo Queen. Marie Laveau’s journey began as a hairdresser, but people flocked to her seeking solace. They confided in her, sharing their troubles, and she would offer insightful responses. This tradition has significantly shaped our way of life in New Orleans. Here, a diverse range of individuals approach me for answers, a practice that might not be as common in other cities.
How did you adapt your readings to the current online routine imposed by the pandemic?
Since the 1980’s, I have been providing phone readings as part of my services. I’ve focused on phone consultations, particularly for those who were visiting and sought to continue receiving insightful readings.
So, there wasn’t a significant change. However, I was lucky to have in-person clients. When the pandemic restrictions eased, I could resume conducting face-to-face sessions. Even though we maintained social distance and wore masks, I continued to meet individuals in my office.
I am one of those psychics who likes to see people in my office. There are many psychics that only like to do it by phone or the internet. I don’t know if it changes the quality of the reading, but definitely I enjoy seeing people and a lot of people prefer to do a reading in-person.
Are there certain topics that show up more frequently in your readings?
Yes, I call them ‘The Big Five’: Romance, Career, Finances, Health and Family. Nowadays, there are a lot of bigger questions like ‘what is my purpose in life’. It has come to encompass more of a real philosophical kind of questions that people ask themselves to find meaning in their day to day lives.
Do younger people ask about purpose or do older people do so? Is it a generational question?
People go through their mid-life crises and the mind shifts to weightier questions. But I find the younger generations – millennials, gen Z – have a feeling of wanting to contribute and do ask themselves these questions. So, older people ask that at certain point but it seems across the board with the younger ones.
What is the most important detail in maintaining a relationship of mutual trust with customers?
I am not a judgemental person. I feel everybody is going through whatever they need to grow in this world, and they are doing the best that they can. I think people sense this when they connect with me: that I am not here to do anything except to accept, nurture and guide them in things that will be good for them. I am not here to tell them what to do, I am here to help them find the answers within themselves what to do.
If you see something like a person in a toxic relationship or some similarly uncomfortable situation, how do you manage this issue without being judgemental?
It depends on the mental state of the client. One always has to take that into consideration. My reading to be right isn’t necessarily as important every time as it is to somebody to feel heard or validated. There are instances that if somebody is in a really traumatic state of their relationship, I will tell them what I see: I wouldn’t want to be in this relationship. I can’t tell you not to be in that relationship, but I tell the reasons that I wouldn’t be in it.
Would you care to share with us any remarkable psychic reading experience?
I’ve had a couple. One of the saddest readings I recall was a gentleman who let go of everything in his life to pursue being on American Idol. He had left home and it had become such an obsession with him that he basically lost everything. He was living in a basement somewhere. I had to tell him that I did not see that as being a valuable move, as much as I wanted him to win that. I did not want to say that, but I had to.
We all can see ourselves in that to varying degrees and someone has to be the bearer of reality – often, that’s me. There’s a myriad of readings and some of them are the best news ever, like telling somebody they are going to have a baby when they really felt never to be able to conceive.
Finally, do you have a message for our readers in these special times?
Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to do that – I do. We are strong. We have gone through this over and over again throughout the history of humanity. There have been terrible moments and we have made it.
My message is: wear your mask, socially distance. Do everything you can do to prevent getting this and prevent everybody that you love from getting this. But I do feel that by Spring/Summer it is going to be a different time and things will be getting back to normal. So, patience and vigilance – and hope!
