You have to wonder, did the gypsies see it coming?
To curb a growing concern that a cauldron of self-professed psychics and "healers" may be pulling a little sleight of hand, Officials in Warren (MI) have instituted new laws to weed out the chaff from the grain.
Starting this past week, all fortune-tellers (mediums, faith healers, tarot card interpreters), were required to pay an annual fee of $150.00 to practice their "craft".
In addition, each applicant serious about their gifts - and the right to utilize the "God-given" talents for the benefit of others (usually for a hefty up-front fee) - must agree to be fingerprinted and undergo a background check by the local police.
"We had no mechanism of enforcement to protect people against unsavory characters," Warren city-council member Keith Sadowski noted for the record.
"We want to be sure there is some recourse in case we do get somebody who is not legitimate."
Personally, I think it is a great idea since the pshychic field is rife with riff-raff who don't have a clairvoyant bone in their body.
Anyone can set up shop, hang out a shingle, and make promises about the future based on their alleged intuitive gifts.
By the time the individuals seeking counsel realize they were rooked, the gypsy may have moved on to greener pastures elsewhere.
The regulation now being enforced in the suburb of Detroit may reduce the number of scammers casting a negative light on the profession and those blessed with second sight.
Years ago, in Vancouver (B.C.), I used to be a regular guest on "Tomorrow's Fortune" on CKVU.
Each day, a seer involved in a different area of the arcane arts, provided guidance to callers who dialed in live from home.
On dozens of occasions, I proved my own "psychic abilities", which evolved over the years.
While I gave up one-on-one readings, for fees, I still use my sixth sense daily in my own affairs and to assist others in need.
Post: 08/29/07
http://ijulian.blogspot.com/2007/10/prophecya-gift-from-god.html
Today, decades later, society is still grappling with the dilemma of how to handle a career pursuit that is out-of-the-normal realm, quite literally!
A police force in one municipality will only permit an individual to go into "practice" in their town if they determine the psychic to be of "good moral character" (hence the fingerprinting process and background check).
Last year, Will County (Illinois) decided to count fortune telling as an official business - along with tattooing and dog watching - folks!
Guess lots of gypsies will be taking up shop in Illinois to offer up some advice on politics and gambling (lucky numbers, anyone?).
Which leads me to the intriguing tale of the Maryland fortune-teller - Nick Nefedro - who won his case in June to operate a shop in Washington (D.C.).
Mr. Nefredo was facing a shut-down of his Washington (D.C.) shop for practising Yoga.
According to the ACLU, the laws regarding predictions and licensing, may have proven worrisome to Mr. Nefredo.
"It makes it illegal to say incantations to give good luck without having a license," he asserted to a reporter at TIME.
The ACLU defended his free-speech rights and won his case in June.
In that case, the judge even challenged a common stereotype:
"We are not, however, persuaded that all fortune telling is fraudulent," Clayton Greene Jr. wrote.
What to look out for when seeking a true psychic for advice?
If you waltz in the door - and the gypsy's face turns white as she proceeds to warn you there is a curse on your soul - turn on-your-heel and high-tail it out of there fast.
Because in the next "auspicious" moment, she'll be fleecing you of all the contents of your wallet - and then some - to remove it.
As P.T. Barnum once said:
"There's a sucker born every minute."
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