A mystic who made her fortune with angel numbers revealed that the entire concept is fake.
Former New Age teacher Doreen Virtue branded the practice garbage and admitted she feels ashamed of making it up.
Angel numbers are a form of numerology that ascribes divine meaning to certain digits or sequences.
It was popularized by Virtue in the mid- 1990s and has several celebrity devotees, including Kylie Jenner and Kristin Cavallari.
The concept came to Virtue during a meditation session in her bathroom, where she had locked herself away to get some peace and quiet from her two boys.
Doreen Virtue, who made her fortune with angel numbers, revealed the entire concept was fake
Virtue told The Cut she started receiving downloads - when angels were sending repeating numbers on receipts and telephone numbers, and these patterns meant something.
Its kind of perfect, because this stuff should be thrown down the toilet, Virtue explained. Its garbage. I regret it, and Im sorry that I made them.
The former psychotherapist began to dabble more seriously in the concept after surviving a carjacking in 1995, which she credited to guardian angels.
I started to talk to people whod had these weird, unexplainable experiences that went way beyond coincidence, she said. We all thought it was angel intervention.
A series of book deals followed, in partnership with her longtime collaborator, Lynette Brown.
The books were so successful that they led to a jet-set career in which Virtue would speak to thousands of adoring fans in person and to the masses through appearances on Oprah, Sally Jessy Raphael and The View.
The revenue enabled Virtue to purchase a Hawaiian ranch, as well as a $1.9 million Washington home.
Virtue insisted that during this time, she believed what she was teaching and used angel numbers to guide her decisions.
Angel numbers are a form of numerology that ascribes divine meaning to certain digits or sequences and is beloved by the likes of Kylie Jenner, who is seen wearing a 222 necklace
The concept came to Virtue during a meditation session mid-1990s and has celebrity devotees like Kristin Cavallari
She admitted that she regrets using her influence to radically alter some of her disciples lives with stupid, delusional advice, including encouraging people to quit their jobs, leave partners or relocate.
I knew someone whose mom was dying, and the number 444 was a comfort to her, Virtue explained. She thought that meant her mom would live, and she didnt.
Today, Virtue has tossed out her New Age ways in favor of Christianity. Her U-turn came about in 2015 while she was in the car listening to a preacher on the radio talk about the dangers of false prophets.
She now regularly appears on podcasts and her YouTube channel denouncing her old beliefs.
It may be reassuring to think angels are with you, but to say, "I dont have to take action, because the angels are going to do the work," or "the angels told me this is going to be okay" — thats false hope, Virtue added.
Her decision to renounce angel numbers was met with a furious backlash and wild speculation that Virtue was being manipulated by her husband or a demonic spirit - both of which she denies.
Former New Age teacher Doreen Virtue branded the practice garbage and admitted she feels ashamed of making it up
The financial impact of her decision is also still being felt. Virtue says she owes the IRS $2 million and has been forced to sell her Hawaiian ranch.
Im making in a year what I used to make in a week when I was in the New Age, Virtue said of the $1,000 to 2,000 a month she earns today.
But she does not regret her decision and has stern words for anyone still enraptured by angel numbers.
People find comfort in this because they want this magical solution to problems, but there is no magical solution, she said.
You have to do some hard work. You have to get a job, and you have to be responsible with your finances, you have to go to the doctor.
These are things that people often dont want to do. Theyd rather have this fantasy that the angels are taking care of all this.