Needless to say, that piqued my interest. Partially because she was pulling in $10,000 a month per client, but mostly because it was reported straight, fair and prominently by Newsweek.

That kind of coverage doesn’t happen all that often in the metaphysical arena. Articles from mainstream media sources are usually tongue-in-cheek, snide, “fluffy” or downright discrediting. But here was an article that laid it all out pretty plainly: respectable businesses and psychic can and do work together.

Just the other day in USA Today, another article talks about how there’s a boom in patronage of psychics and intuitives. As is to be expected, it’s not the deepest or most informative bit of writing, but the cenral fact echoes sentiments that have been showing up in numerous places for months now. Wired had an article about psychic business back in November about it that put it like this:

The boom in superstition is a predicable response to troubling times, says Columbia Business School professor Gita Johar, who’s studied the phenomenon. “If the future is uncertain, people turn to psychics,” Johar says. Consumers tend to embrace the supernatural when confronted by stress, combined with uncertainty. “You have an illusion then that you can then control the outcome. People want the illusion of control.”

Even The New Scientist agrees that when times get tough, people take to things they would otherwise avoid… like psychics.

“Uncertain times” may be a bit of an understatement at this point. With the Wall Street numbers bouncing around like jumping beans on speed and numerous other social and political things going on around the nation (and world), there’s no telling what’s going to be important tomorrow morning. Our interconnected system is being laid bare by a shared global uncertainty the likes of which we haven’t seen.

And so, it’s no surprise that there’s an uptick in the schedules of pshycics and intuitives all around. This, of course, raises the question: Is now the time for those of us with an intutive, psychic and/or metaphysical bend to make a puch for more recognized legitimacy?

The time would seem to be ripe, with the current media coverage and businesses apparently finally willing to talk about their use of non-standard consultants. The market is there if already established practioners are being swamped, there’s space for new growth.

Perhaps more importantly, there may be a moral impertive for thow with talent and solid eithics to actively pursue exposure over the charlatans and cheats that will undoubtedly rush to fill the growing demand from a public who knows most of their psychic lore from popular TV shows and couldn’t spot a fake if their life depended on it.

I know I’ve held off for years on “going pro” with my ideas for becoming a professional Tarot reader and intuitive consultant. (Though I have floated them around a little before–like on this rough draft of a site.) Why? Because I remain concerned about credibility and acceptance. I worry that stepping fully into the role of “professional psychic” would get in the way of my other professional interests.

Now… I’m becoming less sure one would be a detriment to the other.

I’m interested in hearing what you out there think about that credibility line. Is “Intuitive Business” coming into its own now? Should the psychic community push for better recognition and more obvious standards for those who go into business? And, even if you don’t think there’s such a thing as a “real” psychic, does applying the intuitive process to an unpredictable situation really hurt anyone in the long run (especially since we seem to be wired for irrationality in some situations)?

The classic soothsayer predicting victory or death, the traveling Gypsy turning the cards and seeing the future, even the Biblical prophets passing on notes from the Divine to people who don’t always get quite what they mean at the time, these are all well known examples.

In the real world, things don’t always work out quite so nicely. True prophecy is a rare thing (which, really, is probably for the best). And fortune telling has gotten a bad rap due to both scientific scrutiny and a number of high-profile charlatans who more than happily take people’s money.

That negative frequently overshadows the positives that exist.

There is no denying that divination is far from an exact science, at least in the ways it is most commonly practiced and presented. In someone’s life, there is simply too much going on–too many variables–to account for them all. Humans, being the fickle creatures we are, can be swayed by the most nonsensical things, deflected from a planned course by some shiny object or random idea, completely breaking from any predictable pattern, oblivious to any destiny we may have.

What, then, are the positives of divination?

There is skill. A good practitioner of any form of divination, be it Tarot cards or casting the bones, spends years honing the skills and knowledge necessary to interpret the symbols of their particular method. That teaches focus and builds awareness. For the diviner, regardless of the accuracy of any given divination, there is the chance for deep personal growth. Without a doubt, that is a positive.

There is awareness. Interpreting the symbols of the tools is only one third (at best) of a good divination. Another large part is awareness. The practitioner must be aware–aware of their client, aware of their own state of mind, aware of how things are currently going in the world their client exists within. Without this awareness, there is no context. Without context, any information presented by the divinitory tools is virtually useless. There are few who would argue that increased awareness is a bad thing.

There is creativity. It is the sole responsibility of the practitioner to bring symbol and context together into a coherent whole that speaks to the concerns of the client. This requires creativity–an ability to connect disparate and sometimes contradictory bits of information into something more than the sum of its parts. A good practitioner tells a good story about the client and the forces he or she has at work in his or her life. Creativity works the mind in different ways than pure logic and opens the door for more creative thought. If that can be shared with someone seeking solutions–if they can become just a little more in tune with the idea of creativity–this is a good thing.

Notice there is no need for actual metaphysical intervention. There is no need for grand psychic powers or deep and dark magickal powers. There is only need for knowledge, awareness and creativity. Because of this, anyone can practice divination in it’s most basic–and generally useful–form.

At its root, divination is a way to gain perspective and a way to explore new solutions. With a moderate amount of training and solid ethics, anyone can begin helping themselves and others.

The real problems begin when a practitioner leaves those ethical concerns behind him. When they put their own well-being ahead of that of their clients, they can twist and manipulate the knowledge they have. They can use their awareness to cut deep and their creativity to warp and influence the decisions of their clients. They can, without a doubt, easily and completely take advantage of many, many people before being caught.

This is the double-edged sword of many skills.

This is why a key component of any metaphysical practice is deep thought on ethics and responsibilities.

When used properly and with good intent, divination can be a very good thing. The addition of an actual metaphysical component can add to awareness, but is not necessary to change people’s lives for the better.

Divination does not predict the future, it merely looks at that which is often ignored in the past and present and follows it to a possible outcome. The idea of that journey, when shared with a seeker, can be more powerful than any supposedly predestined event or preconceived notion.

That is where the true power of divination is: not in seeing the future, but in helping others to create the future they want.

Why? Because it can only be proven if you don’t tell anyone about it before it happens. But if you tell people about it after the fact, chances are they’re not going to believe you didn’t just make it up.

If you tell people about it before hand, well, then you have to worry about that whole “self-fulfilling” angle. Even worse (or better if it’s a prophecy of disaster), once people get the idea of what may be in their heads, they could take active steps to prevent it from happening–leaving you, the well-meaning prophet, looking like you were just plain wrong.

To add even more kinks into the mix, there’s the whole mess of Fate to deal with, too. You may think you’re fated to be a prophet, but there’s never any external proof of that. How would you find it? Every “hit” you get can be explained away, every “miss” a case of faulty judgment or free will on the part of others. At least if you tell anyone.

But if you don’t tell anyone, what’s the point of the gift of prophecy?

This, I think, is why so many prophets come across as crazy. Or, maybe, it’s why so many crazy people can come across as prophets to those desperate to believe in… something.

The future is a malleable thing. Anything is possible, only certain things are probably, and you don’t need to be a prophet to pick out some of them. Charlatans and megalomaniacs have taken advantage of this fact for as long as there’s been an idea of “the future.”

I think that true Prophets–true Seers of the future–work quietly and mostly alone. They have to be sure of themselves, but also confident that other people are capable and just as important in the scheme of things.

At least that’s what the “good guys” would do. And I have no doubt that if there are white hats out there, there are black hats, too–hacking away at the system, trying to manipulate it for their own gain (or that of whatever they think they serve).

And, over it all, the Universe maintains balance regardless.

Nature is a wonderful thing.

Looking at those cards, spread on the table between me and whoever I’m reading for, I can see just how tempting it is to know what’s ahead. I can imagine that ever since humans developed a concept of the difference between the present and the future, someone has been trying to get the jump on everyone else by sneaking a peek at what is to come.

Any quick survey of religion will produce a large number of prophets. Delving into esoteric traditions will give you dozens of ways to glimpse the future–everything from reading tea leaves to using entrails of sacrificed animals to drug-induced trances. The actual accuracy of any given method is questionable (at best), but the insight that can be gained by the practice of divination in unquestionable.

I’ve only worked regularly with Tarot and I know I could work a lot more with it. The pictorial nature of the cards speaks a very simple language. It speaks to the symbolism we all have deep within ourselves. More importantly, the pictures all tell stories and we, as humans, are story-based creatures. We relate to stories. We live stories.

And that’s what I use the Tarot for. Divining the future isn’t about absolutes. I don’t believe that most people have a set in stone destiny. And those that do… well, they can choose to fight it. There’s always a choice and as long as there’s choice, there’s a chance for things to turn out differently. No, divination isn’t about what will happen–it’s about what may happen. It’s about probability and possibility.

I use the cards to tell a story. To illustrate where different choices may take the querent. That’s where the art of divination comes in. The science of it (what science there is) deals with the meanings of the symbols and the concordances they have with different things. But it takes an artists touch to blend that information into knowledge that can be shared.

Personally, I feel I already know a little too much about what the future may hold for me. Those things I don’t know, I like not knowing (most of the time). But I’ve worked long and hard to get a healthy perspective on my life. I’ve worked hard to become comfortable with the present.

The present, however, is rarely an exceptionally comfortable place.

It is surrounded by uncertainty on one side (the future) and the immutable on the other (the past). Getting even the vaguest idea of what may come can be quite comforting at times.

But getting perspective on the present and empowerment to create the future you want? That is the true power of divination. That is the task of the fortune teller. To act not as a guide to the future, but as an illuminator of the present. Nothing points to one’s path more clearly than an understanding of the now. The hints of what may be are just the extra added bonus.