Freelance
Culture
LARRY COX
calendar@tucsoncitizen.com
Sylvia Browne has a voice that is distinctive and reminiscent of the early films of Lauren Bacall.
Speaking by phone from her home in the Bay Area, the internationally known psychic and adviser says that her new book, “All Pets Go to Heaven” (Fireside Books, ($23.95), came about after hearing stories from friends and acquaintances documenting the unique spiritual bond that exists between humans and their animals.
“The more I explored this bond, the more convinced I became that animals do communicate with us from the afterlife and that eventually we will be united with them on the other side,” she says in that husky voice.
She pauses for a brief moment and then reveals that although she has never publicly discussed the spiritual lives of animals, she believes it is important that we know that even after our pets die, there is a spiritual connection that remains.
“I hope that people who have lost special pets will find comfort in my book, which is one of the main reasons why I wrote it,” she say.
Browne is convinced that cats, dogs and other creatures inhabit more than just our houses; they inhabit our hearts.
“I have always known that death is not an end,” she explains.
Taking her thought a step further, she adds that because pets have personalities, quirks, and souls, it is only logical that there be a special place in heaven for them.
Browne, who has written 46 books including 22 New York Times best-sellers, is pleased by the success of her latest book. Just released, it already tops several categories at amazon.com.
“I try to write in a friendly down-to-earth style, which is why I think my books connect so well with the reading public,” she says.
As might be expected, she has her detractors.
“I tell people to take what they believe from me and leave the rest but as far as the detractors are concerned, I don’t pay much attention since negativity is toxic,” she explains.
Browne, who was born in Kansas City, Mo., knew at an early age that she had special abilities.
“My grandmother and my mother were both mediums, and when I was about 3 I realized that I, too, had special abilities,” she says.
She had a vision that her grandfather had died and she predicted she would have a baby sister within three years. Her granddad had, indeed, died and she got her new baby sister one month shy of her sixth birthday.
Her next project is a book that will reveal how to distinguish a true psychic from a fake.
“I have been working on it for several weeks and hope that my draft will be finished in a few months,” she says. Although she doesn’t offer many details, she says it will be one of her most comprehensive books.
The interview then veers from her books to timely topics such as the troubled economy. Sylvia predicts that we should see a slight improvement later this year and an even bigger one by 2010.
Since Sylvia Browne is a psychic and the end of the Tucson Citizen is imminent, I had to ask at least one question about the fate of my friends at the paper. What, I wondered, did the future hold for us?
After what seems like an eternity, Browne speaks softly and slowly.
“Almost everyone at the paper will find new jobs since this period is simply a transition, not an end,” she says.
She adds that when one door closes, another opens.
“It is up to each of us to find that open door.”