Rosemary Altea, born Rosemary Edwards, is a British author who describes herself as a medium and healer. Known as The Voice of the Spirit World, Rosemary has traveled globally, inspiring audiences with her insights on life after death and spiritual healing. She has appeared on various programs, including Larry King Live, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and featured in the series premiere of Penn & Teller: Bullshit! alongside mentalist Mark Edward.
Early Life and Psychic Visions
Altea was born in 1938 in Leicester, England to Lilian and William Edwards, and has two brothers and three sisters. From a young age, Rosemary experienced voices and “otherworldly” visions-challenges that set her apart from her family and shaped her extraordinary journey. Rosemary claims to have had psychic visions from a young age, causing parents to threaten to commit her to a mental asylum.
Embracing Psychic Abilities
Her formal education ended at the age of 16 when she left school and then got married when she was 19. In her early thirties, she embraced her psychic abilities, mentored by her spirit guide, Grey Eagle, and transformed them into a lifelong vocation.
A British woman named Rosemary Altea claims that she can communicate with the spirits of deceased loved ones to help their family members. Rosemary claims that her psychic abilities were influenced by strange encounters she had as a child. When she would try to sleep at night, floating heads would appear at her bedside, calling her name. When she would tell her mother, she would get scolded. Rosemary kept the visions a secret for over twenty years.
Then, she met a man who told her that she wasn't crazy; she was a psychic. He introduced her to other psychics. During a session with the other psychics, she learned that she had a spirit guide. He was an Apache Shaman named "Gray Eagle". He told her that she had the ability to speak with people's deceased relatives.
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Notable Cases and Encounters
During a book signing in New Jersey, Rosemary met a couple who had lost their daughter. She was able to accurately describe two things that their daughter had treasured before her death. The couple was part of a bereavement group, which Rosemary agreed to meet with for a session.
Tony and Marie - a New Jersey couple that met Rosemary at a book signing and She immediately said that they had lost a child to cancer. Two years earlier, they indeed had lost their three-year-old daughter Michelle to leukemia. After the book signing, Rosemary tried to make contact with Michelle's spirit. She told them that Michelle was very happy that they had saved a special card in a drawer for her. She also said that she was happy that they saved a picture that she had drawn, and that the picture was hidden in a box in a closet. The couple was shocked; one of Michelle's favorite play-things was a Valentine's Day card that Tony had given to Marie. Later, when she was hospitalized, a therapist helped her make a flower card for her parents.
Stephanie Bozak - twenty-year-old who died of a brain tumor in 1994. Her father, Kenneth, was part of the bereavement group with Tony and Marie. Rosemary correctly identified Stephanie and her cause of death. She also correctly noted that she had a scar on her head and that her mother had kept a lock of her hair. Finally, she correctly noted that Kenneth had won a golf trophy two nights earlier.
These encounters helped solidify Rosemary's reputation as a gifted psychic medium.
Media Appearances and Recognition
Her first book, The Eagle and the Rose, became a New York Times bestseller and led to appearances on Oprah, Larry King Live, and 20/20, as well as features in Vanity Fair, Self, The New York Times, and People.
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On 26 January 2007, Altea appeared on Larry King Live with skeptic James Randi. Altea was featured on Penn & Teller: Bullshit! in the show's premiere episode, "Talking to the Dead." Kevin Christopher of the Skeptical Inquirer wrote that the segment on Altea "was a nice expose of Rosemary Altea during a taped reading arranged by Showtime. Viewers got a clear picture of how she worked the small group of people present for readings prior to the taping in order to glean information for later use.
Investigator Joe Nickell believes modern day self-proclaimed mediums like Altea are avoiding the Victorian tradition of dark rooms, spirit handwriting and flying tambourines as these methods risk exposure. They instead use "mental mediumship" tactics like cold reading or gleaning information from sitters beforehand.
Controversies and Skepticism
Altea has faced scrutiny and skepticism regarding her claims of psychic abilities. Skeptics often point to tactics like cold reading and gathering information beforehand as possible explanations for her accurate readings.
Legal and Financial Issues
In 2001 Altea inherited a farm in Dorset, Vermont from Llewella Day, an elderly cancer victim. Ms. Day changed her will shortly before she died, thereby cutting her family out and leaving the $740,000 farm to Altea, with the desire it remain a working farm. Altea successfully fought Day's family's attempts to invalidate the will, and-against Ms.
In 2009, Altea learned that her bookkeeper, Denise M.
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The controversies and legal issues have added layers to the public perception of Rosemary Altea, prompting discussions about the validity and ethics of psychic mediumship.
Books by Rosemary Altea
- Altea, Rosemary (2007). A Matter of Life and Death: Remarkable True Stories of Hope and Healing. Jeremy P.
- Altea, Rosemary (2004). Soul Signs: An Elemental Guide to Your Spiritual Destiny.
- Altea, Rosemary (2004). Give the Gift of Healing: A Concise Guide to Spiritual Healing.
- Altea, Rosemary (2000). You Own the Power: Stories & Exercises To Inspire & Unleash The Force Within.
- Altea, Rosemary (1997). Proud Spirit: Lessons, Insights and Healing Stories.
- Altea, Rosemary (1995). The Eagle and The Rose: A Remarkable True Story.