Star turn

CLAIRVOYANCY is a gift that runs in Claire Petulengro's family. While most children were learning their ABC, Claire was being taught how to read palms. "I come from a Romany gipsy family and I began reading palms when I was six. My mother taught me," says Claire.

Her mother was more than qualified to pass on the family inheritance. She was Eva Petulengro, the Sixties astrologer who had several celebrity clients including Michael and Shakira Caine and the Beatles. She was also the first astrologer for Cosmopolitan magazine and wrote for 72 other publications. Her Dear Eva column in the Scottish Sunday Mail received up to 3,000 letters a week from readers and fans.

She had been taught by her mother Eve - Claire's gran - who established her name from reading for Royalty and was the palmist and clairvoyant on Brighton Pier.

And the clairvoyance lineage doesn't end there. Claire says she hopes to instruct her 18-month son Paris in the family ways too.

"I think he's very gifted clairvoyantly," she says in her high, quickly-spoken voice. How? "You would have to meet him to know," she answers rather mystically.

Like her mother and grandmother, Claire has built up a successful career from her birth gift.

She writes for a host of newspapers and magazines including the Daily Express, Sunday Express, Daily Star, Women's Own, Company and OK as well as supplying text horoscopes for MTV. She is also Sky Active Television's first digital astrologer. And from Monday she will be writing the daily In The Stars column for the Evening Press, replacing June Baker Howard, who is stepping down.

As if that weren't enough, Claire is also a prolific author. Her books include Health Signs and Diet Signs, which offer advice on how to lose weight and stay fit, taking into account the traits and downfalls of our star signs. Her latest book, Love Stars, has just been published and offers a guide to all the relationships in our life, from friends and family to lovers and work colleagues. Twelve more books will be out in the summer, published through WHSmith.

"I've written a book for each star sign looking ahead to 2003," adds Claire, who admits she is a workaholic. "I have got lots of interests but this is my passion. I'm lucky that I can earn a living doing something I enjoy."

Claire's career really took off after she gained national notoriety by making outstanding predictions on an ITV show. She prides herself on her accuracy and believes in straight talking and revealing exactly what she sees - the good and the bad.

"You have to tell the bad things too, as bad things do happen... as long as you are constructive and tell people in a way that is helpful," she says. "If you didn't tell the truth and someone got divorced they would wonder why you hadn't seen it."

She has used her skills to help many people make important decisions in her life, and admits she turned to the movement of the planets to help her resolve problems in her five-year marriage to husband Rob.

"I separated from my husband recently," says Claire. "I knew we had outgrown each other. I used my experience to help decide that life was too short to stay."

Horoscopes have been a popular part of our lives for a long time, says Claire.

"The first horoscope appeared in a newspaper in 1899."

Why are so many of us hooked on our stars?

"At the end of the day people want to know more about themselves; who they are, where they are going," she replies. "Those who study it, find out it works and can enhance their lives. Horoscopes can be like a good friend - they tell you things nobody else would."

Claire lives with Paris in Torquay, Devon, and regularly travels to London for work - and where she goes, her son goes too.

Through her work with OK magazine, she has worked with many celebrities and says many pop stars, actors and politicians have consulted her in confidence. She regularly flies to the USA to see clients and give talks on astrology, palmistry, tarot and how to develop clairvoyance.

One place she has never been to is York, but she hopes that will change soon.

She said: "I look forward to coming to York and meeting some of the readers."

Farewell message from June Baker Howard...

Dear readers,

The time has come for me to bid you a fond farewell and enter into semi-retirement. I hope that you have enjoyed my daily star columns. It has brought me great pleasure over the years to write for you and I hope that you have found my columns have given you guidance. I would also like to thank those of you who have taken the trouble to write to me personally, I feel touched by knowing that I have such great support.

Best wishes and good luck for the future.

June Baker Howard

Updated: 08:54 Saturday, March 02, 2002