fortune teller in
Boston Discussing the role of fortune telling in society, Ronald H. Isaacs, an American
rabbi and author, opined, "Since time immemorial humans have longed to learn that which the future holds for them. Thus, in ancient civilization, and even today with fortune telling as a true profession, humankind continues to be curious about its future, both out of sheer curiosity as well as out of desire to better prepare for it." Although soothsayers were viewed as prized advisers in ancient and premodern civilizations such as the
Assyrians, they lost respect and reverence during the
Age of Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries. With the rise of commercialism, "the sale of occult practices [adapted to survive] in the larger society," according to sociologists
Danny L. and Lin Jorgensen.
Ken Feingold, writer of "Interactive Art as Divination as a Vending Machine," stated that with the invention of money, fortune telling became "a private service, a commodity within the marketplace". As
J. Peder Zane wrote in
The New York Times in 1994, referring to the
Psychic Friends Network, "Whether it's 3 P.M. or 3 A.M., there's
Dionne Warwick and her psychic friends selling advice on love, money and success. In a nation where the power of crystals and the likelihood that angels hover nearby prompt more contemplation than ridicule, it may not be surprising that one million people a year call Ms. Warwick's friends."
Typical clients In 1982,
Danny Jorgensen, a professor of Religious Studies at the
University of South Florida offered a spiritual explanation for the popularity of fortune telling. He said that people visit psychics or fortune tellers to gain self-understanding, and knowledge which will lead to personal power or success in some aspect of life. In 1995, Ken Feingold offered a different explanation for why people seek out fortune tellers: Ultimately, the reasons a person consults a
diviner or fortune teller depend on cultural and personal expectations.
Services Traditional fortune tellers vary in methodology, generally using techniques long established in their cultures and thus meeting the cultural expectations of their clientele. In the United States and Canada, among clients of European ancestry,
palmistry is popular and, as with
astrology and tarot card reading, advice is generally given about specific problems besetting the client. Non-religious spiritual guidance may also be offered. Catherine Adams, an American who claims to be clairvoyant. has written, "My philosophy is to teach and practice spiritual freedom, which means you have your own spiritual guidance, which I can help you get in touch with." In the African American community, where many people practice a form of folk magic called
hoodoo or rootworking, a fortune-telling session or "reading" for a client may be followed by practical guidance in spell-casting and Christian
prayer, through a process called "magical coaching". In addition to sharing and explaining their visions, fortune tellers can also act like counselors by discussing and offering advice about their clients' problems.
Full-time careers Some fortune tellers support themselves entirely on their divination business; others hold down one or more jobs, and their second jobs may or may not relate to the occupation of divining. In 1982, Danny L., and Lin Jorgensen found that "while there is considerable variation among [these secondary] occupations, [part-time fortune tellers] are over-represented in human service fields: counseling, social work, teaching, health care." The same authors, making a limited survey of North American diviners, found that the majority of fortune tellers are married with children, and a few claim graduate degrees. "They attend movies, watch television, work at regular jobs, shop at
K-Mart, sometimes eat at
McDonald's, and go to the hospital when they are seriously ill." ==Legality==