Hello Rishi Sir,
With due respect, it is only in the online mode where we do not get to meet the person offering services face to face that I have some reservations with. I have been quite interested in the occult from my school days and spent much over the past years in consultations etc. Of course, I have like several others opted for online services for other things, but palmistry etc becomes slightly trickier. Call me a skeptic but I don't fully after all that I have done and spent over the past few years have 100% belief over few things. Will explain-
1) In 2012, after getting interested and meeting a popular numerologist who stays quite afar in my native changed my name number from not so bad 39(my birth date is 3) to favourable for all 41. That my destiny number is 8 makes a number 5 all the more better as 5 is the only cure for a destiny 8. I did not change the names in certificates etc but probably sent thousands of emails to send the 'vibrations' out through personal ids over the years (work and casual). Also wrote the name 41 times for 41 days in red ink and threw the book in river(again to send the vibrations into the universe). Found this rather funny actually, haven't read anything like this anywhere.
On this very numerologists suggestion, visited few far off temples of Krishna, snake deitys(they are important in Kerala where I am from) and other gods.
2)Thousands spent in online matrimony annual membership forum over many years. Stopped making payments last year as outcome was poor with very few proposals coming.
3)Big maangalya pooja inside our native house in March this year. Both priest and an astrologist were there for this special pooja. This was to remove any marriage impediments but two months later I was unemployed(basic criteria gone for marriage). I was optimistic because life usually gets better after 35 usually for destiny number 8 per some.
4)More spent in infrequent consultations with astrologers(Astrology is much more prevalent than palmistry in my native) and regular/multi-year rituals at temples (supposedly these give guaranteed results!)
I have been trying to get married from the past 7 years but now the basic condition of a job itself is gone and that too for the first time in 15 years. I had started working in a good firm when I was just 20. It's like being in mudslime(keechad), the more efforts I do to get out, the worse it becomes. The more I try to set things straight by pooja's and offerings, the worst it seems to get. By not doing anything, well, situation would stay the same. Not to mention the embarassment when facing relatives etc. The suggestion I used to get from astrologers is to lower expectations from marriage partner/be flexible etc but I have reasonable expectations in my opinion.
As you see, I have spent quite an amount in face to face consultations itself.
Please don't get me wrong, but I have observed that usually palmists who read the above will say.. ahh this is all ok.. what i give you is different.. i give you meditation, yoga poses etc.. That one astrologer would always have a different opinion to other is another funny aspect due to which some say don't get too many second opinions - it will confuse you:). In the past I have had average to poor experience with online forums who give a writeup in 3rd person (suggesting set responses). I had opted for a paid nutrition program and also opted for a small transcendental meditation program years back which was also eyewash which I realised later after reading in an article that the 'unique personalised mantra' is a random word from a list of words they have. Probably the mantra does not matter much after all- just to let the mind focus on a thing- but thats not how it is conveyed by the guru. They say it must be memorized not to be told to anyone etc. When the truth is the complete list of words can be seen online:) Transcendental meditation remains one of the simplest and popular techniques and I sort of liked it for some time before losing interest after reading the truth busting article. I am not saying all online services are the same but not ideal in my limited experience. On second thoughts, both online and face to face haven't been of much help for me.
You may ask if I am that skeptical, why bother even coming to the forum?.. well, the tiny bit of believer in me makes me come back. In fact one of the senior readers in another forum(now closed) told me not to believe too much in astrology/palmistry way back in 2008. Obviously, I haven't exactly been following the advice! More than anything, to me this opens the possibilities of self-improvement - mentally, emotionally, financially etc and be prepared which is why these days I am trying to understand things from Ayurvedic perspective as well.
I guess most people would be fine with getting paid readings. It is the online/not face-to-face element that makes me a bit hesistant. In any case, I have spent so much otherwise as well. You may ask whether I have a choice, any other option to get out of this situation. The answer is actually No.
EDIT: Immediately after posting the reply, I saw the below. Good article. Applies to everyone. That last point is so true in my present case.
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-most- ... ?srid=zftK