#and Gypsies or Roma - depending on what the specific group preferred to be called - are easy to get along with | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

foursprout-blog · 6 years

Text

A Tarot Reading Can Be the Therapy Session You Never Knew You Needed

New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/health/a-tarot-reading-can-be-the-therapy-session-you-never-knew-you-needed/

A Tarot Reading Can Be the Therapy Session You Never Knew You Needed

When I was a girl, I learned to read cards from my Romani grandmother in her charmingly cramped trailer. A diasporic ethnic group originally from India, Roma—more commonly known by the racial slur “gypsy”—were historically limited to performance, fortune telling, or other handicraft work, due to persecution.

My grandmother taught me how to divine the traditional way, using a deck of playing cards. But over the years, I have fallen in love with tarot, which are the predecessors of today’s playing cards, first appearing in Europe in the 1500s. My grandmother wanted to teach me to read cards so I could carry on the family trade (which I have), but also because there is something intrinsically healing about gathering together to solve life’s problems.

EDITOR’S PICK

displayTitle

Reading cards, my grandmother and I learned about each other’s hopes and fears, discussed our dreams, and sat quietly together concentrating on candle flames and asking our ancestors for help. I think it’s one of the best ways to understand a loved one. Romani fortune telling, at its best, is therapeutic in nature and seeks to heal the past self and better navigate the present. By the end of a good session, you should feel like you understand yourself and your world better. Readings aren’t meant to reveal the future because the future is always being written, but a good reading should reveal the person.

Read tarot with a friend.

I’m not saying to go seek out a professional tarot reader, unless that’s an experience you would like to have (in which case, go forth and enjoy!), but it is a good idea to have someone else read for you. If you want to have a more intimate (and affordable) experience with fortune telling, you can do a free tarot reading with a trusted, open-hearted friend.

In the Romani tradition, it’s often frowned upon to read for yourself. My grandmother explained it to me this way: “Reading for yourself can never truly be accurate because your hopes and fears will cloud your vision.” It’s too easy to slip down a bad introspection spiral or to become intoxicated by fantasy. However, when you swap readings with a friend, their outside point of view can help you see yourself and your situation more objectively.

Even if you and your friend have absolutely zero tarot experience, that’s OK. They will likely see the symbols on the cards differently than you will, which can lead to fresh perspectives on even the oldest problems. Also, they likely know you pretty well already, so they have a context for the advice they give you. This is especially helpful if you’re the type of person who secretly wishes to talk about your feelings but needs a tool to help facilitate actually expressing them with another human (which, yes, can be scary).

At the very least, you will have an open discussion about what’s been on your minds, and best case scenario, the cards will turn up some synchronicity—and your friend might tell you exactly what you needed to hear.

Select the right tools.

Tarot cards offer symbols of the major and minor arcana, as well as the four suites, and the numbers that accompany each card. There’s an old belief that you shouldn’t buy your own tarot cards; they should be gifted to you. There’s an easy way around that. Just ask a friend to get you a deck (or the deck of your choosing) and then take them out to lunch or something in exchange—or you and the friend who you plan to read with could also each buy a deck and then swap.

There are so many different types of decks that it can be overwhelming to choose the ‘right’ one, so keep it simple and choose a deck that you feel drawn to—or that you just like, for whatever reason. Any deck you pick should have a guide to help you interpret the cards and learn different spreads (ways of laying out the cards and reading them), and that can be a very helpful resource.

There are also many books about tarot reading if you want to go a bit deeper. However, I’ve been reading professionally for many years now, and I find that more often than not, my clients will have their own feelings and connections to the cards, and those personal resonances are just as relevant.

Care for your tarot cards.

Make sure you treat your cards well. In the Romani tradition, always use a handkerchief or scarf to lay the cards on. They should never touch a table or any other surface without a cloth between them, because as my grandmother says, “They need to be babied. Speak to them lovingly, shuffle them gently, and apologize if you drop them.” Likewise, after you finish reading with them, you should thank them before you put them away. She also insists that they like to be kept in silk or satin bags, or wrapped in silk scarves, or another soft material. She says they prefer light, airy colors, naturally. Your cards are fancy babies.

It’s an excellent idea to also treat your body well before you read cards. Make sure you’ve eaten and are hydrated. Readings are a way to care about yourself and take interest in your well-being, and also to allow yourself access to your deepest dreams and possibilities you might not otherwise let yourself consider.

The author, Jezmina von Thiele / photo credit: Aurora Rose of Auroraandjohn.com

Open with a ritual.

Before a reading, it’s important to start with a ritual (big or small) to relax you and open yourself up to your own insight and intuition. Before we read for each other, my grandmother would always have me meditate with her first, though she wouldn’t have called it meditation.

We usually sat in front of her ancestor altar, a common fixture in Romani households, often consisting of photos of deceased family members and a single white candle, and during holidays, little offerings of food and alcohol. Here she would ask me to breathe deeply and evenly, and to empty my mind, imagining its spaciousness. We were making room for it to be filled with messages from ancestors and spirits of goodwill. Then we would ask these ancestors and spirits to help guide us in helping the client (in this case, each other) as much as possible.

Setting an intention like this, to help each other, or to see clearly and compassionately, is a great idea. It sets the tone for your work. You may also consider setting the intention to invite yourself to be open to what the cards have to say, and also hold the knowledge that what the cards may suggest isn’t set in stone—that you always have control over your choices.

The ancestor altar meditation with a candle is my grandmother’s ritual, but over time, I’ve added elements that make me feel more relaxed, open, and ready to sift through universal symbols. Before you read, you may like to take a bath with rose petals, salts, or oils; burn sage, copal, or incense; conjure a circle, witch-style; stretch; or pray. You might only set a ritual for a minute or two, or you may want to luxuriate in preparations for longer.

The possibilities are endless, and the point of it is three-fold: A ritual will signify to your brain that you are about to enter a certain mindset, one of openness and intuition. It will relax you and make it easier to read for yourself with more accuracy, or be more open to someone else’s reading. And lastly, it will show you what kinds of self-care you are craving and give you a perfect excuse to take some time for yourself and care for that mind and body of yours.

Engage in the reading.

Once you’ve set your stage with a nice scarf and a little opening ritual (whether that’s a few deep breaths with a candle or an elaborate sage-burning affair), it’s time to get down to the reading. If you are reading for your friend, ask them to shuffle the cards while thinking of their question.

Questions might include the following: “What should I be doing with my life? Is this the right partner/career/decision for me? What should I do to be happy? How can I heal? How can I find the right partner/career? Should I change my job/go freelance/start a family?”

Generally, it’s best to try to focus on one issue at a time—for instance, do one reading for career and another for love. Sometimes, though, especially in longer readings, they overlap anyway. If your friend doesn’t have a specific question, then they can ask the cards to please tell them what they need to know.

The deck you’re using may have suggested spreads (arrangements of the cards) with instructions for how to read in their prescribed style. You can use any of those if you like, though if this is your first time reading, I suggest picking the simplest version: a “three-card spread,” which is exactly what it sounds like.

Start with the three-card spread.

Once your friend is done shuffling and asking their question, ask them to pick three cards from the deck (without peeking!) and lay them on their cloth, one after the other, face-up.

Reading from left to right, the first card is the past. The second card is the present. And the third card is the possible future. A lot of how you read these depends on what the cards mean, but a good general approach is to think of the first card representing what the person has recently conquered or let go of, or what it was that got them to where they are right now. The second card almost always represents the person in the present, and/or their present situation. If it’s a love reading, it might even symbolize their love interest. And then the third card often represents what the future might look like if things continue as they are.

If it’s a negative card outcome, then the present and future cards usually have some wisdom to avoid or neutralize any negative qualities the future card has. If it’s a positive outcome, the present and future cards often have some tips to help you get to that good place.

EDITOR’S PICK

displayTitle

You might want to do a couple of three-card readings for each other on different topics; the more you practice, the easier it gets. The most important part is that you two are talking about what the cards bring up for both of you, how they relate to the question, and how you feel about it. The discussion is where the real magic is born.

Practice “first thought, best thought.”

My grandmother insists that you should always look at the cards first without looking up the meanings in the book, and draw your own conclusions. You can interpret a tarot card like any other work of art, starting with questions like, How does each card make you feel? Why? Are there symbols that stand out to you, or that feel familiar?

You can think about color use, drawing style, negative space, numbers… anything that touches you. Depending on the spread you use, whether it’s the three-card spread or one you choose from your book, the cards will represent certain things about you or your situation, and that will color your interpretation too.

You may also notice a theme, like you may have a lot of one suite: cups, coins, swords, or wands. Each suite represents an element—water, earth, air, and fire, respectively. Perhaps you might identify with the elements that appear on a basic level. The beat poet Allen Ginsberg advised, “first thought, best thought” while editing one’s own work, and the same goes for fortune telling.

Your first impressions are generally the closest to the bones of a situation, and free-association is more likely to show you exactly what is troubling you, and open up wisdom you already have but may be repressing for any number of reasons. Then you can look up the meanings in the book that comes with your tarot deck for more ideas, if you feel so inclined.

My grandmother strongly believes all fortune telling books are garbage and that intuition and interpretation are skills that can only be honed through self-discovery and/or a family tradition passed down orally. That’s the old-school approach though, so go ahead and read about it if you want to.

Come at it from the side.

My grandmother conceded that reading in a response to a specific, impersonal question like, “What do I need to know about this upcoming project at work?” is much less emotionally risky than sitting down with a deck of cards and asking, “What’s wrong with me?” and proceeding to pull card after card, obsessing over every one of your perceived card flaws, until you’ve pulled the whole deck.

If I’m feeling a little emotionally vulnerable, I steer away from more personal topics, like family and love, and do three-card-spreads for my various projects. Asking for advice for my book or an upcoming dance performance feels a lot more objective than a more personal reading, and yet, often when I ask about the work I’m doing, I get some good advice for my mental health too.

If I have writer’s block, for instance, there’s probably something lingering in my heart that I resolutely decided not to feel—for instance, to write effectively about my childhood, I actually need to feel some feelings about the hard things that happened back then. It might not hurt to work on trusting my love interest too, and letting go of those old fears born of early life trauma. Coming at a problem from the side, like “How can I focus better at work?” is likely to reveal answers that might have felt too intimidating to really see when looking at them head-on.

If this approach feels like it would suit you, then you might enjoy a book by Jessa Crispin called The Creative Tarot, which offers a number of mini-spreads with different representations for each card, depending on what you’re asking about. The book mainly deals with questions you have about creative work, although her methods could apply to other queries too.

Remember that moderation is key.

While it’s absolutely lovely to do these readings with friends whenever the mood strikes, it might also be beneficial to make these readings a ritual, like a standing coffee and tarot date. Maybe you could make time to read each other monthly or bi-weekly. You might even like to use markers, like reading at the full moon or at the turn of the seasons (solstice and equinox readings are fun).

Regularity offers structure to your self-discovery, and you’re more likely to see themes in your thoughts and behavior that you can either nourish or let go of, depending on what you need. I don’t recommend reading for each other more than once a week, though. Give yourself time to live your life without overly examining it too.

In the spirit of moderation, it’s probably best that you don’t ask the cards the same questions over and over again, because according to my grandmother, that insults them and makes them cranky, rendering them much less likely to help you out. This also keeps you focusing on moving your life forward, and while you and your friend might rehash some familiar themes, particularly as patterns in your behavior and/or the cards you deal emerge, ultimately you’ll be exploring new interests and thoughts with your friend.

Just like any conversation, you want to keep it fresh and authentic. Your mutual curiosity about each other’s lives and well-being might also spur you both to positive action, breaking unhelpful patterns, and trying new things. But if it’s been a few months since you’ve asked about something and you want to check in again, that’s fine. Or if a situation you’ve already asked about has dramatically changed—like your partner breaks up with you a week after you do a love reading—then it’s cool to check-in again.

Even on the most basic level, you are creating a good support system by nurturing this relationship with a friend in which you can thoughtfully and productively listen to each other and work through some big feelings. Any wisdom that the cards spark in you two is the cherry on top.

Opt for a one-a-day practice.

If you really want to read for yourself, here’s a little something you can do: You can practice card reading more often without fear of self-obsession or pissing off the cards if you only pull one card a day. This isn’t something my grandmother would ever do, but a lot of different fortune-telling traditions include this card-a-day practice.

It’s a daily excuse to ground yourself and meditate for a few minutes, maybe adding in any other ritual embellishments you like, before you even start. I have quite a few friends who will draw a single card without asking for anything specific and use the card as a theme for the day. Other friends ask the card to give them advice for the day ahead. You could spend a few minutes meditating on this in a quiet space, at an altar, or over your daily cup of tea or coffee. This technique, at its essence, provides a helpful moment to take a few deep breaths and set an intention for the day ahead, giving you focus, and perhaps a sense of purpose or confidence.

Practice loving detachment.

Grandma insists that to read from yourself, you must be detached from the outcome, because wishing for a certain outcome is what skews your readings and the way you see the world, yourself, and those around you. Practicing loving detachment is what Buddhists recommend we do to get through life’s trials and tribulations and maintain a relaxed and blissful composure.

This is why it’s not always a great idea to get a reading when you’re in the throes of passion or despair. If you want to read for each other, but you’re feeling like you’re falling to pieces, maybe take a walk first, talk, do some breathing exercises together or a calming activity like coloring to bring your energy down to a more neutral place. If you’re still really upset, maybe save the question about that topic for another day. It’s likely that coming at the heart of the matter from a different direction will be helpful, anyway.

Start a dream journal.

Journaling is such a helpful tool for many people, and dreams, for Roma and other cultures, are taken very seriously and are often seen as another reality or world connected to this one. Part of my training with my grandmother was dream analysis. We would often check in with each other’s dreaming and discuss what knowledge our own spirits, ancestors, and deities were trying to share with us.

You can start interpreting your dreams the same way you would the cards, by focusing on feelings, sensory stimuli, symbols, and narrative, which creates a direct line for self-analysis. Part of your well-being get-togethers might be sharing dreams with each other and discussing what they might represent and how they relate to your readings. Your friend will likely spot patterns in both if they’ve been reading you for a while already. This is a lovely way to connect your waking and dreaming worlds and share that everyday magic with someone you care about.

Prepare a closing ritual.

It’s a good idea to have a little closing ritual just to tie everything up at the end, and let your mind and body know that you’re returning to the world and leaving this heightened state of intuition and reflection. This can be simple. My grandmother and I, after thanking each other, would then thank the cards, shuffle them gently to “shake off” the reading, wrap them up in their scarves, and store them safely.

I also like smudging the room by burning some sage, palo santo, or incense. If you are burning out candles that you set with an intention, before you blow them out, you can say this incantation I learned from a Pagan coven I studied with years ago: “Though the flame goes away, the magic does stay.”

The most important thing is to begin, sustain, and close the reading with an open, honest, and compassionate heart. Dedicate yourself to creating a safe and nonjudgmental space, listening deeply to each other, following your intuition, and using the tools (the cards and guidebook) with the best intention to each other know yourselves better and pursue your own happiness. Your reading ritual can become a part of your bond and is a wonderful way to strengthen your relationship and support each other.

Resources

If you would like to learn the general meanings and history behind each card, with interpretations from a number of decks, as well as spreads and techniques, then you can try Rachel Pollack’s Tarot Wisdom: Spiritual Teachings and Deeper Meanings by Rachel Pollack.

If you love history, then you might enjoy A Wicked Pack of Cards: The Origins of the Occult and Tarot by Ronald Decker, Thierry Depaulis, and Michael Dummett.

If you want to learn more about dream interpretation, you can check out this keystone text, The Undiscovered Self: With Symbols and the Interpretation of Dreams by Carl Jung.

If you love learning about symbols and mythology, as well as ancient magical practices, then peruse Alchemy and Mysticism by Alexander Roob.

If you’re a creative type, or wish to be, and you want to get into journaling and other intuitive practices to support your work, then I recommend The Artist’s Way Workbook by Julia Cameron.

If you’re curious about Romani culture, then you can read We Are the Romani People by Ian Hancock.

#Health

0 notes

enigmacreativeindustries · 7 years

Text

Research

History of Fortune telling:

All throughout history, with the advent of astrology, numerology and the tarot, civilizations of different culture have also become interested in matters of fortune-telling, with many people asking their future from psychics. Fortune-telling is basically the practice of predicting events and happenings about a person’s life. Its scope is said to be in principle identical with the practice of divination, with a difference that fortune-telling implies it is done in a less serious or formal setting.

It is said that fortune-telling, historically-speaking, emerges out of folkloristic reception of Renaissance magic, specifically associated with Gypsies

Roma (Gypsies) originated in the Punjab region of northern India as a nomadic people and entered Europe between the eighth and tenth centuries C.E. They were called "Gypsies" because Europeans mistakenly believed they came from Egypt. This minority is made up of distinct groups called "tribes" or "nations."

It is also believed that fortune telling have hundreds of techniques, many of which date back to before recorded history, there is evidence that indicates there are forms of fortune-telling that were practiced in ancient China, Egypt, Chaldea, and Babylonia as long as 4000 BC

Chinese fortune telling, better known as Suan ming (Chinese: 算命; pinyin: Suànmìng; literally: "fate calculating") has utilized many varying divination techniques throughout the dynastic periods. There are many methods still in practice in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong today. Over time, some of these concepts have moved into Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese culture under other names. For example, "Saju" in Korea is the same as the Chinese four pillar method.

Egypt is known to be a popular practitioner of magic & fortune telling making them one of the country’s highlights which tourists are wanting to see. Ancient Egyptians were always curious and keen in looking beyond different. They believe certain signs or events seen in dreams revealed unpredictable information about the future. The ancient Egyptian Dream Book is a hieratic papyrus that probably dates to the early reign of Ramesses II.

It is also evidenced that prophetic dreams and oracular utterances have played an important part in ancient religion and medicine during the 19th and 20th century, there are methods of divination from non-Western cultures, such as the I Ching, that were also adopted as methods of fortune-telling in western popular culture

There are many types of dreams including Prophetic Dreams which are also referred to as precognitive dreams. Prophetic dreams are believed to be a form of extra-sensory perception (ESP) in which a person is said to perceive information about places or events through paranormal means before they actually happen.

Oracular utterances - Of the nature of, resembling, or suggesting an oracle : an oracular response. Giving forth utterances or decisions as if by special inspiration or authority.

There many predictive methods of fortune-telling and these include astrology which is an interpretation of the movements of heavenly bodies as influences on earthly events, numerology which is the study of numbers, and the usage of objects such as playing cards, tarot card, tea leaves, crystal balls, dice, fire, water, and scattered salt.

Astrology - the study of the movements and relative positions of celestial bodies interpreted as having an influence on human affairs and the natural world.

Numerology - the branch of knowledge that deals with the occult significance of numbers.

There are also fortune-telling that come as a process of character analysis which take such forms as graphology or the study of handwriting, physiognomy or the study of facial characteristics, phrenology or the study of contours on the skull ,and palmistry or the study of lines on the palm of the hand

Choose a hand. In palmistry, it is thought that:

For females, the right hand is what you're born with, and left is what you've accumulated throughout your life.

For males, it is the other way around. The left hand is what you're born with, and the right is what you've accumulated throughout your life.

That being said, you can also choose whichever hand is dominant to be your present/past life hand (the non-dominant hand would then be your future life hand).

There are different schools of thought on the matter. Some say the left-hand shows potential and what could be -- not necessarily what will be. And a difference in the hands could mean one is or is about to take action when it comes to their lives, changing it.

Deciphering the Lines

Identify the four major lines. There may be breaks in them or they may be short, but at least three of them are there.

The heart line

The head line

The life line

The fate line (only some people have this).

Interpret the heart line. This line can be read in either direction (from the pinkie finger to the index finger or vice versa) depending on the tradition being followed. It's believed to indicate emotional stability, romantic perspectives, depression, and cardiac health. The basic interpretations are as follows:

Begins below the index finger - content with love life

Begins below the middle finger - selfish when it comes to love

Begins in the middle - falls in love easily

Straight and short - less interest in romance

Touches life line - heart is broken easily

Long and curvy - freely expresses emotions and feelings

Straight and parallel to the head line - good handle on emotions

Wavy - many relationships and lovers, absence of serious relationships

Circle on the line - sadness or depression

Broken line - emotional trauma

Smaller lines crossing through heart line - emotional trauma

Examine the headline. This represents a person's learning style, communication approach, intellectualism, and thirst for knowledge. A curved line is associated with creativity and spontaneity, while a straight line is linked with practicality and a structured approach. The basic interpretations are as follows:

Short line - prefers physical achievements over mental ones

Curved, sloping line - creativity

Separated from life line - adventure, enthusiasm for life

Wavy line - short attention span

Deep, long line - thinking is clear and focused

Straight line - thinks realistically

Donuts or cross in headline - emotional crisis

Broken head line - inconsistencies in thought

Multiple crosses through head line - momentous decisions.

Evaluate the life line. This begins near the thumb and travels in an arc towards the wrist. It reflects physical health, general well-being, and major life changes (for example, cataclysmic events, physical injuries, and relocation). Its length is not associated with length of life. The basic interpretations are as follows:

Runs close to thumb - often tired

Curvy - plenty of energy

Long, deep - vitality

Short and shallow - manipulated by others

Swoops around in a semicircle - strength, and enthusiasm

Straight and close to the edge of the palm - cautious when it comes to relationships

Multiple lifelines - extra vitality

Circle in line indicates - hospitalized or injured

Break - sudden change in lifestyle

Study the fate line. This is also known as the line of destiny, and it indicates the degree to which a person's life is affected by external circumstances beyond their control. It begins at the base of the palm. The basic interpretations are as follows:

Deep line - strongly controlled by fate

Breaks and changes of direction - prone to many changes in life from external forces

Starts joined to life line - self-made individual; develops aspirations early on

Joins with the life line around in the middle - signifies a point at which one's interests must be surrendered to those of others

Starts at base of the thumb and crosses life line - support offered by family and friends.

Interpreting the Hands, Fingers, etc.

Determine the hand shape. Each hand shape is associated with certain character traits. The length of the palm is measured from the wrist to the bottom of the fingers. The basic interpretations are as follows:

Earth - broad, square palms and fingers, thick or coarse skin, and ruddy color; length of the palm equals length of fingers

Solid values and energy, sometimes stubborn

Practical and responsible, sometimes materialistic

Work with their hands, comfortable with the tangible

Air - square or rectangular palms with long fingers and sometimes protruding knuckles, low-set thumbs, and dry skin; length of the palm less than length of fingers

Sociable, talkative and witty

Can be shallow, spiteful and cold

Comfortable with the mental and the intangible

Does things in different and radical ways

Water - long, sometimes oval-shaped palm, with long, flexible, conical fingers; length of the palm equals the length of fingers but is less than the width across the widest part of the palm.

Creative, perceptive and sympathetic

Can be moody, emotional and inhibited

Introverts

Do things quietly and intuitively.

Fire - square or rectangular palm, flushed or pink skin, and shorter fingers; length of the palm is greater than length of fingers

Spontaneous, enthusiastic and optimistic

Sometimes egoistic, impulsive and insensitive

Extroverts

Do things boldly and instinctively.

Look at the mounts. That's what the fleshy bit below your fingers are called, on the opposite side of your knuckle. To make them visible, cup your hand just a bit. Which one is the largest?

A high Venus mount (the one under your thumb) indicates a predisposition for hedonism, promiscuity, and the need for instant gratification. A non-existent Venus mount indicates little interest in family matters.

The mount under your index finger is called the Jupiter mount. If this is well-developed, it means you are dominant, possibly self-centered, and aggressive. A lack of one means you lack confidence.

Under your middle finger is the Saturn mount. A high mount shows you're stubborn, cynical, and prone to depression. If it is low, it's an indicator of superficiality and disorganization.

The Sun mount is under your ring finger. You're quick-tempered, extravagant, and prideful if you have a high Sun mount. A low Sun mount means you lack imagination.

The Mercury mount is under your pinkie. If it's protruding, you talk too much. A low mount means the opposite -- you're shy.

None of this is based on science. And your hands are known to change throughout time. Don't take any of it too seriously!

Europeans and Americans, consider fortune-telling as a sin within Judaism and Christianity and civil laws have forbidden the practice.

Psychics were prized advisers to the Assyrians 5000 years ago; however, they lost respect and reverence during the rise of Reason in the 17th and 18th centuries

Fortune telling comes in many different forms, with the most primitive, clumsy, yet enduring method is the simple recording of sequences of important events. This simple recording of sequences of important events have led to the practice of telling the future via omens, may be considered either good or bad depending on their readings. In telling the future via omens, the same sign may be interpreted differently by different people or different cultures

Fortune telling is very similar to the practice of divination. The only difference is that divination is the term used for predictions that are considered part of a religious ritual.

The rules of fortune telling differ per country.

In the United States, a variety of local and state laws restrict fortune telling, whilst other states require the licensing of fortune-tellers, or they use different terminology that avoids the term 'fortune-teller' in favour of terms such as 'spiritual advisor' or 'psychic consultant'. In New Zealand, a 1000 dollar penalty is given to anyone who sets out to 'deceive or pretend' to earn money by stating that they possess telepathy or clairvoyance. It is however not a criminal offence if it is intended for the purposes of entertainment. The most extreme measures have been taken in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where it is considered to be sorcery and it has been punishable by death.

Edit: We will not be using the term “Gypsies” anywhere in our stall as it has a history of being used as a slur.

0 notes