How Princess Diana’s Life Choices Were Guided by Her Fascination With the Occult: 'A Cry for Help'

The late 1980s and early 1990s saw an unexpected shift in Princess Diana's life. She found comfort in the world of the occult behind the glittering royal life. Appointments with psychics, spiritualists, astrologers, energy healers, palmists, tarot readers, and dowsers began to fill her calendar. This infatuation became more than just a fleeting curiosity for the unhappy princess. Diana set out on her mystical world journey in 1986; she went to astrologer Penny Thornton for help as she struggled with the demands of royal life and her deteriorating marriage to Prince Charles.

"I just wanted to see if there is light at the end of the tunnel," Diana confided. Besides, Diana's astrological chart reading by Thornton signaled the start of a profound exploration into alternative spiritual traditions. Sarah, Duchess of York and the princess's closest friend, frequently served as her mentor in this foreign land. They investigated many spiritual paths together. Diana's network of spiritual counselors expanded to include homeopathic dowser healer Jack Temple, celebrity psychic Sally Morgan, naturopath Roderick Lane, and grandmotherly psychic Betty Palko, as per Vanity Fair.

These sessions weren't just about predicting the future. Instead, they gave Diana support and direction that she was unable to find elsewhere. Simone Simmons, an energy healer, remembered private times spent with the princess. "Diana, on the other hand, was on a high. She said that...she could already feel a change in the atmosphere. She wanted to capture more of that mood change and she said she wanted me to do some healing."

Diana's engagement with the occult went beyond mere curiosity. She believed in past lives and claimed to have been both a nun and an ancient Christian martyr in previous incarnations. The princess also believed she could connect with her deceased loved ones and that included her grandmother, Countess Cynthia Spencer, and her ex-boyfriend, Barry Mannakee.

However, Diana's interest in the occult wasn't without critics. Author Sally Bedell Smith was informed by a former royal officer, "In the late eighties and early nineties she was with every different sort of person. They marched in and out, and I don't know how they got there, but once you get into that scene, it's a cry for help." Bodyguard Ken Wharfe was more blunt, stating, "Diana was in the thrall of all these mad psychics."

Nonetheless, it seems as though Diana may have benefited greatly from the guidance of these spiritual advisors. They gave her solace and company when she felt isolated within the royal family. Simmons noted, "She was one of the closest friends I have ever had, and we talked about everything and anything in an open, girlie way, without secrets or subterfuge."

Diana's spiritual path involved more than simply herself. When faced with important choices, she frequently sought guidance. Among them was the question of whether or not to collaborate on Andrew Morton's contentious book Diana: Her True Story.  Astrologer Felix Lyle recounted a two-hour meeting in which they talked about the controversy and revolution the book could cause, as per Town & Country.