The Tarot Room – Georgianna

Scottish Flag

A 2006 visit to a Tarot reader by Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond was cause for general amusement in parliament a couple of weeks ago.

Opposition and Labour Party leader Iain Gray asked about Salmond’s visit to Gypsy Amalia, who apparently has a picture of him on display in her caravan.

Rather than try to deny the event, Salmond endorsed Amalia saying she correctly predicted the result of the 2007 election, which of course, he won.

He even went so far as to say he’ll be back to visit her again to find out when the next Labour leadership contest would be held.

It was all in good fun, and nice to see that the Tarot reader came off on the positive end of the joke.

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Downtown Alexandria

Rachel Adams, a psychic living in Alexandria, Louisiana, is taking her new town to court.

She’s trying to overturn a fortune-telling ban that prohibits her from operating her business, Readings by Faith.

When Adams moved to Alexandria last year, she applied for a business license to open her shop. Not only was she refused a license, she was cited by police and faced a potential $500 fine or 12 months in jail.

According to Section 15-127 of the city code, even if you’re doing it for free, psychic and Tarot readings are illegal in Alexandria.

The Town Talk newspaper reports that it’s unlawful …

for any person to engage in the business or practice of palmistry, card reading, astrology, fortunetelling, phrenology, mediums or activities of a similar nature within the city, regardless of whether a fee is charged directly or indirectly, or whether the services are rendered without a charge.

Adams sees her psychic work as an expression of her religion, and according to her attorney, Tommy Davenport, the ordinance is suppressing her ability to practice her faith.

Members of the Alexandria Council, said that they were surprised by the suit, and wished Adams had approached them first before filing.

They said that they would have considered an amendment to the ordinance rather than trying to defend it in court.

Adams’ attorney, however, said that due to the criminal charge against his client, the lawsuit was the best way to proceed.

And he may have been right. Just two hours after presenting four similar cases where fortune-telling bans were overturned, charges against Adams were dropped.

Davenport hopes it’s a good sign that the ordinance itself will soon be overturned. I hope so too.

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Mississippi State Seal

Last week, Tommy and Marie Costello filed suit in U.S. District Court against Hattiesburg, Mississippi, claiming its fortune-telling ban is illegal.

The couple was issued a notice of violation on December 29th of last year for their business, Marie – Psychic Reader.

Though they went ahead and closed down their shop, they feel that the law against fortune-telling is illegal censorship, and in violation of both the U.S. and Mississippi constitutions.

Further, they claim that their rights to due process have been violated, and that their ability to discuss their skills and to advertise their professional services have been silenced.

The Costellos seek a declaration that the city ordinance is illegal prior restraint of free speech, an injunction requiring repeal of the ordinance, and unspecified damages.

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The saga continues … Meridian, Mississippi has changed their minds again. Fortune-telling is now legal.

City council voted 3-1 on Tuesday in favour of rescinding the longstanding, and hotly debated ban on fortune-telling in the city.

Threats of legal action by the American Civil Liberties Union prompted the change of heart. A lawsuit would be expensive, and the city would likely lose on constitutional grounds.

But not all councillors were convinced, and psychic readers won’t be able to set up shop just anywhere in Meridian.

Though such businesses are now legal, according to the Sun Herald, business zoning classifications for where they’ll be allowed will be highly restrictive.

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Just a reminder to readers in New York State, fortune telling is still officially illegal there. And that goes for New York City as well as the rest of the state.

Of course you wouldn’t know it by the number of psychic shops in town, but according to an article in the New York Times last week, as well as the penal code itself, it’s true.

The Class B misdemeanor is listed as No.165.35 and reads as follows,

A person is guilty of fortune telling when, for a fee or compensation which he directly or indirectly solicits or receives, he claims or pretends to tell fortunes, or holds himself out as being able, by claimed or pretended use of occult powers, to answer questions or give advice on personal matters or to exorcise, influence or affect evil spirits or curses; except that this section does not apply to a person who engages in the afore described conduct as part of a show or exhibition solely for the purpose of entertainment or amusement.

The law was added to the code in 1967. It’s been around for a while, but obviously isn’t enforced too often. But just last month it was. Sylvia Mitchell of Manhattan was charged with illegal fortune telling.

It’s important to note that she was also charged with grand larceny for allegedly defrauding people of thousands of dollars by claiming to remove ‘blockages’ of some sort. If the charges are true, I find her actions reprehensible.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it now, if someone tells you that you have a spiritual block or curse that they can remove for a fee, they’re very likely con artists. Don’t give them your money.

But this other business of being charged with something as broad as ‘fortune-telling’ is something legitimate readers should pay attention to. Even those who just read cards and make no claims to spiritual connections or occult powers.

The obvious way around the law is to do what people have been doing for years. They simply add the disclaimer ‘for entertainment and amusement purposes only’ to all marketing materials and websites, whether they mean it or not.

As it stands the law, and its loophole, seem to be a bit of a sham. Some readers are definitely entertaining, and even amusing, but that’s not why most people go to get readings. And everyone knows it.

And yet, if a reader admits that most, if not all their readings are meant to be serious, they could be arrested. It’s crazy.

Can’t we just use the laws we already have against fraud to protect people from scammers, whether their scam involves pretending to be a fortune-teller, priest, doctor, investment mogul, or any number of different occupations.

And for the people who believe that they can get or give advice from cards, or crystals or relatives passed on, let them, without fear that they’re engaged in a crime.

Being paid for a psychic or card reading should not be illegal. The Maryland High Court said it well in their decision to repeal a fortune-telling ban in Montgomery County, Maryland in 2010,

Fortunetelling may be pure entertainment, it may give individuals some insight into the future, or it may be hokum. People who purchase fortunetelling services may or may not believe in its value. Fortunetellers may sometimes deceive their customers. We need not, however, pass judgment on the validity or value of the speech that fortunetelling entails. If Montgomery County is concerned that fortunetellers will engage in fraudulent conduct, the County can enforce fraud laws in the event that fraud occurs.

The County need not, and must not, enforce a law that unduly burdens protected speech to accomplish its goal. Such a law will curtail and have a chilling effect on constitutionally protected speech.

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A Swiss clairvoyant made the news last week when she helped locate a Swiss Army officer’s lost USB storage device.

It was a USB flash drive type thing being used to store transmission codes. He lost it while on exercises at military barracks in Columbier.

According to The Local, after searches turned up nothing, a colleague suggested that the officer contact a clairvoyant for help. Apparently he did, and she told him he’d lost the device while he was urinating.

And that’s just where they found it, in a bush by where the officer had relieved himself. A psychic hit!

The story sounds made up. A peeing soldier, lost secret codes and an unnamed seer… unlikely. But who knows, it could be true. And if it’s not, I like it anyway.

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And more in legal news …

Last week, Salem City Council moved to temporarily suspend issuing new fortune-telling licenses. They want time to close a loophole in the existing ordinance.

According to the present law, in order to qualify for a fortune-telling license, 51 percent of a shop must be dedicated to the metaphysical, for instance tarot cards, crystals and the like.

But apparently, that’s not what’s been happening.

Councilor-at-large Joan Lovely says she herself is aware of two businesses that created separate corporations within the same establishment in order to get around the license requirements.

To stop this from happening, Lovely asked for the suspension of license issuance to allow the city solicitor time to recommend changes. She received unanimous support of the council.

None of them want too many fortune-telling business in town, but they’re also aware of how important they are to Salem.

Council expects to consider the proposed amendments at their first meeting in September. They’d like to settle the issue before October’s witchy season begins.

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Seal of Cook County

It’s now legal to juggle, perform acrobatic feats, and read fortunes in Cook County, Illinois’ Forest Preserve.

The Forest Preserve commissioners took time out last week to clean up some of the old, and possibly illegal, ordinances they still had on the books.

According to Dennis White, attorney for the County, the rules against juggling and acrobatics were probably instituted to discourage carnivals or circuses from setting up in the preserve.

If that’s true, I’d guess that’s also why fortune-telling was banned. But the decision to lift the ban had nothing to do with circuses.

According to one of the commissioners, that was done because the ordinance didn’t define what fortune-telling is.

So it’s now okay to juggle, somersault, and divine at the preserve. But take note, it’s still illegal to go naked on its driving range and golf course.

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The Empress

If you’re in the Montreal area, or heading to it, you might want to check out this art show.

Le Tarot de Montréal is an exhibition inspired by the Tarot de Marseille. Twenty-three artists participated, each creating a work on paper depicting their view of a specific symbol from the Tarot card given to them.

The artists and cards were paired based on the analogies and associations in the cards and the artistic approach of each particular artist.

The show opens tonight and runs to August 18, Mondays through Fridays, at the Peter B. Yeomans Cultural Centre in Dorval, Québec.

It’s being presented by the Centre d’art et de diffusion Clark in collaboration with the Conseil des Arts de Montréal en Tournée.

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A giant phone hacking scandal led Rupert Murdoch to close down his flagship paper News of the World this past Sunday.

It’s a big story that looks like it’s getting bigger, and seems like an interesting topic for Tarot Views the News.

This is not a predictive reading, but rather a quick look at the following ideas, using the Tarot.

•what is hacking?
•what is privacy?
•what is journalism?
•what is the free press?

5 of Cups

The first card I pulled answered the question, ‘what is hacking? Consciously, I would have chosen the 7 of Swords, but the card I pulled was the 5 of Cups.

Rather than describing the action of hacking, the card seems to be describing the consequences. Hacking breaks trust, public and personal. It causes a lot of sadness and a desire to turn inwards.

The card might also represent the type of information that hacking usually gathers – personal sadnesses, tragedies, insecurities, and failings, all the disappointments in our lives, our spilt cups.

Queen of Wands

I pulled the Queen of Wands when I asked, ‘what is privacy?’ There she sits, with her little black cat, the keeper of secrets.

Privacy is power, your own personal power. This Queen is independent and strong, concerned more with being able to do what she wants, then to make others do anything.

In other words, she might be outgoing, but typically this Queen doesn’t try to get in your business.

And like her element fire, the desire for privacy expands and recedes. Sometimes we reach out and share, and sometimes we keep to ourselves. Privacy is the right to decide which we want to do when.

8 of Cups

For ‘what is journalism?,’ I pulled the 8 of Cups.

This card shows a willingness to leave what seems easy or comfortable in order to find deeper meaning. Or in this context, to follow the story.

Journalism is a passion. It’s not enough to just stay where everyone else is, you have to venture out to get the scoop. Depending on how you do that, it could be good or bad.

And maybe this card is also pointing to how journalism has been changing, that it might seem like the old structures are still stable, but really, they’re no longer serving their purpose.

Like the man in the card walking away from the upright cups, whether they’re being forced out through layoffs, or making the choice themselves, journalists are leaving traditional news organizations in droves.

#16 The Tarot

And finally, for ‘what is the free press?” I got the Tower – the shattering of empires, prisons, towers we’ve created for ourselves.

A free press isn’t afraid to speak to power, and sometimes that’s all it takes to brings things down. Revealing the truth can change the world.

And maybe the free press itself is facing a Tower of its own. This News Corp situation could really shake things up.

It’s a lightening strike that might tumble more than one fortress.

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