The Tarot Room – Georgianna

Looks like another ‘fortune-telling’ ban has fallen by the wayside. Less than a month after the Norfolk, Virginia City Council repealed their ‘fortune-telling’ ban, Huntington, West Virginia is doing the same.

According to Channel 13 News, on Monday night, Huntington City Council voted 9-2 to repeal Section 529 of the Huntington City Code which had stated, “No clairvoyant, fortune-teller, palmist, phrenologist or person of similar pretensions or profession shall ply or practice his trade or profession in the city for gain.”

Assistant Huntington City Attorney Sam Ransbottom had recommended the repeal, arguing that the law had developed on this issue since the ban was first enacted. Ransbottom warned that leaving it on the books would open Huntington City up to potential lawsuits.

Looks like Council agreed.

Since Monday’s vote was the second reading of the ordinance, repeal of the ban took effect immediately.

Psychic readings were one of the many events scheduled last month by the Township of Manchester, New Jersey for their 150th Anniversary Celebration. As it turned out though, there was a long-standing law on the books making psychic readings on public lands illegal in Manchester.

Under the heading Commercial Uses, Manchester Ordinance 288 section 18C says,

No person shall tell fortunes, play at games of chance, or use any gambling device within a township park or public lands except as provided by special permission of the Mayor or his designee.

Since they were under a time constraint, but didn’t want to break the law, Council decided that at least for their special event, the law would be suspended and psychic readings would be available at the 150th Anniversary Celebration.

According to Micromediapubs.com, Council President Brendan Weiner said that the Township intends to fully amend the ordinance in the near future.

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It looks like the City of Paso Robles, California is about to make some changes to its ‘fortune-telling’ laws.

Since the late 50s, if you wanted to open a Tarot reading business or psychic shop in Paso Robles, you’d have to do it along one particular street in town.

Recently, however, City Council has begun the process of changing the rules so that psychic businesses can set up shop in other areas of the city, including the downtown area.

Though the changes haven’t yet been made official, according to newtimesslo.com, Council will be meeting in the new year and it looks promising.

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As I posted a few weeks back, the town of Front Royal, Virginia has been considering the repeal of an old law banning ‘fortune-telling’ in its city limits.

The law in question, Code 110-17 states,

A. It shall be unlawful for any company of gypsies or other strolling company or person to receive compensation or reward for pretending to tell fortunes or to practice any so-called “magic art.”

B. Every person violating this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not less than five hundred dollars ($500.) or confined in jail not less than one (1) nor more than six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

Last week, after considerable debate, Town Council voted 4-2 in favour of repealing Code 110-17, making ‘fortune-telling’ officially legal in Front Royal.

But there’s still discussion to be had regarding potential license fees and/or other regulations.

Presently, Code 98-42 maintains that fortunetellers, clairvoyants, phrenologists, spirit mediums, astrologists, hypnotists, and palmists must pay a non-transferable $400 license tax to do business in Front Royal.

This Code is under review and a decision regarding license fees and/or other regulations will likely be made by the end of September. I’ll let you know what happens as I hear more.

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In a 4-3 vote last week, the Town Council of Front Royal, Virginia, passed a motion to repeal Code 110-17, a fortune-telling ban that specifically targets ‘gypsies or other strolling company or person….”

The code itself states,

A. It shall be unlawful for any company of gypsies or other strolling company or person to receive compensation or reward for pretending to tell fortunes or to practice any so-called “magic art.”

B. Every person violating this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not less than five hundred dollars ($500.) or confined in jail not less than one (1) nor more than six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

Though it might seem that this ordinance would be unacceptable simply for naming a specific ethnic group, let alone the undefined prohibition on ‘pretend fortunes’ and the practice of ‘magic art’, a number of town folk came out to support it.

I won’t go into all the arguments here, but please take a look at NVDaily.com’s reporting (and comment section) to see how the debate shaped up. Most of it revolved around religious attitudes and some of it is quite ugly.

And to make things even more confusing, Front Royal has another Town Code on the books that details the license fee to be paid by ‘fortune-tellers’ et al.

Code 98-42 says,

For every license for a person engaged in business as a fortuneteller, clairvoyant, phrenologist, spirit medium, astrologist, hypnotist or palmist, there shall be paid a license tax of four hundred dollars ($400.) a year. Such license tax shall not be proratable. A license for a fortuneteller, clairvoyant, phrenologist, spirit medium, astrologist, hypnotist or palmist shall not be transferable.

Though the license fee seems a bit high, Code 98-42 makes it clear that once that fee is paid, ‘fortune-telling’ in Front Royal is already legal. If so, the issue surrounding Code 110-17 isn’t so much about ‘fortune-telling’ per se, but rather who’s doing it.

There will be a second hearing on Code 110-17 before any repeal actually takes effect. I’ll let you know how it plays out as I hear more.

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About this time last year, Alderman Shane Cohn of St Louis, Missouri introduced a bill that would repeal St. Louis’ ban on ‘fortune-telling’.

Unfortunately, his bill didn’t pass, but he hasn’t given up.

According to KSDK.com, Cohn reintroduced his repeal bill a couple of weeks ago, and it now sits awaiting decision by the Board of Aldermen.

Hopefully, it will pass this time. And if I hear about it, I’ll certainly let you know.

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It looks like Front Royal, Virginia might be the next city to repeal its ban on fortune telling.

According to nvdaily.com, Tarot reader Maya White Sparks had been reading cards in the back of a shop on Main Street until about a month ago when she was told to stop.

As it turns out, ‘fortunetelling’ and ‘magic art’ are illegal in Front Royal and someone complained.

Tucked between a statute against disturbing religious worship and how to properly discard a refrigerator is Municipal Code 110-17 which states:

A. It shall be unlawful for any company of gypsies or other strolling company or person to receive compensation or reward for pretending to tell fortunes or to practice any so-called “magic art.”

B. Every person violating this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not less than five hundred dollars ($500.) or confined in jail not less than one (1) nor more than six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

Claiming that the ordinance is discriminatory and encroaches on her freedom of religion, Sparks brought the issue to Town Manager Steve Burke, and it looks like she’s being heard.

According to Burke, the question of rescinding the code is being examined by the town attorney and will be brought before council for consideration very soon.

I’ll let you know if I hear more.

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Last week, the City Commissioners for Grand Rapids, Michigan did some legislative spring cleaning and removed a few outdated laws from their city statutes.

Included among the newly legal activities are spitting in public, removing bird’s nests from one’s property, being willfully annoying, and ‘fortune-telling’.

It’s a funny list for psychic businesses to be part of, but it’s good news for readers in Grand Rapids.

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It looked like it was going to happen, but now it’s official, ‘fortune-telling’ is legal in Deadwood, South Dakota.

Last week, after a second reading of the repeal proposal, City Council members voted once more to end Deadwood’s two-decade long ban on psychic oriented businesses.

According to rapidcityjournal.com, the mayor of Deadwood, Chuck Turbiville, said that the old law had never been used and that he didn’t think that this change would have a major effect on the town.

The repeal does mean, however, that the Chamber of Commerce, who originally lobbied for the repeal, can now start marketing events like the zombie run and haunted tours, something they had been barred from doing up until now.

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It looks like Marion, Ohio might soon be changing, or maybe even repealing, its ‘fortune-telling’ ordinance.

At the moment, ‘fortune-telling’ is technically legal in Marion, but anyone practicing such work would be expected to pay quite a hefty license fee for the privilege.

According to the Marion Star, the law presently states that,

“No person shall practice astrology, fortunetelling, clairvoyancy, palmistry, phrenology or soothsaying, or intend to profess to tell future events, or predict or prophesy future events or happenings in the municipality, without first procuring from the Safety/Service Director a license to do so, for which he/she shall pay $10 per day while so practicing such profession within the municipality.”

But that may soon change as the Legislation, Codes & Regulations Committee reviews old laws in order to edit or revoke any that might no longer be relevant or useful to the city. ‘Fortune-Telling’ is on their list.

I’ll be watching to see what happens, and I’ll share anything I hear.

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