|
As children we dream of the future,
and what may become of us. As adolescents we long for the future
to hurry up and make us into big people, with big incomes and
freedoms to match. As adults we sometimes long for the future
to arrive and save us from the boredom and the responsibilities
of the present.
Then one day you discover that there
are people who claim to be able to glimpse the future, and that
they can tell you what the future holds in store for you. "Can
this be true?" you ask.
Filled with anticipation and dread,
you ascend the creaky wooden stairs of the old apartment block
in search of the person blessed with the long range vision; the
clairvoyant. She seems eccentric, even a little odd, but you forgive
her these small idiosyncrasies, as she is about to tell you what
only she can see; the future.
You leave with a degree of uncertainty.
She has told you certain things which only you know about yourself
but she has also predicted some things which are highly unlikely.
During later discussions with friends another name of a person
is offered to you.
"She's a palmist," Marianne whispers
in conspiratorial tones. Your heart quickens as though you've
just been given the name of a drug dealer or the address of an
illegal gambling den. The torn piece of paper contains the name
Karen and a telephone number.
Karen's front garden is a complete
mess, continuing the esoteric tradition of eccentricity and individuality
laid down by the first clairvoyant. Her living room is no better
and she hasn't brushed her hair in days. She smiles and offers
you tea from a broken cup, before taking both your hands and scrutinising
them under the glare of a small table lamp.
Karen confirms your past, accurately
describes the present and predicts generous and interesting things
for your future between a wheezy cough which suggests a combination
of asthma and addiction to cigarettes. You leave oblivious to
the front garden which has been ravaged by nature and carelessness.
Later you puzzle as to how a complete stranger might seem to know
your character from the shape of your hands and the lines contained
therein.
When you mention your experience
to a friend she states that you simply have to consult her personal
prognosticator, the great Count Seymour Tells-All. "That can't
be his real name?" you ask. "Who cares. He's the real deal. He
predicted my marriage and my divorce," she states. "Yes but two
days after your marriage we all predicted your divorce," you reply
tactlessly.
The great Count Seymour Tells-All
is clad in black from head to toe. He is tall, thin with angular
features and a distinctly melancholic look to him. You feel as
though you have distracted him from the secrets of the universe,
as he leads you down a gloomy, cluttered hallway and into a sunroom
crowded with books. He details your life with a detachment borne
or years of observing humanity while participating in its activities
in only a limited way, and you sit enthralled.
Seers were once an important part
of the community, as they predicted feasts and famines. They were
integral to the community in ensuring stability and avoiding calamity.
Predictions feature in both the old and the new testaments including
when Jesus predicts that Peter will betray him three times before
the morning, prior to the crucifixion.
During the middle ages knowledge
about predicting the future seemed lost, passed down verbally
and even then liberally laced with superstition and unnecessary
ritual. In Victorian times a prediction revival occurred, yet
it was still more presentation than content.
At the turn of the century in Europe
the rational face of prediction belonged to a man who called himself
Cheiro (Count Louis Hamon). Cheiro was a notable palmist, and
in his book Confessions: Memoirs of a modern seer (Sagar Publications
New Delhi 1969) he recounts palmistry readings he gave to Oscar
Wilde, the Czar and Czarina of Russia, Rasputin, Pope Leo XIII
and others. He predicted Oscar Wilde's downfall eight years before
his legal case. As the case approached Wilde consulted Cheiro
who confirmed that he was unlikely to succeed.
In the 1880's two groups, notably
the Theosophical Society founded by Helena P. Blavatsky and The
Golden Dawn began to approach the 'hidden worlds' in a more practical
manner. Members of The Golden Dawn produced three tarot card decks,
one of which, the Rider Waite deck, is the most popular deck in
use today among practising tarot readers.
Since the 1970's clairvoyants have
lost their mystique, and where once you sought them out in hushed
tones, now you find them in the local paper or the telephone directory.
They run psychic schools, have websites, secretaries and are considered
consultants for the purposes of clients who need a tax receipt.
These days clairvoyants specialise
in predictions for particular things, such as the viability of
business investments, career guidance and in one case, a retired
clairvoyant I know specialised in locating money that men hid
from their wives prior to divorce. If it was offshore in the Cayman
islands, the Dominican Republic or the Isle of Man, he found it
and detailed the amount.
And what does the future hold for
those who predict it? Who knows. We'd all know if I could get
an early appointment. I'm on the cancellation list but it's not
looking hopeful. Perhaps I can toss a coin to find out if I can
get an early appointment with the reader of my choice.
[ top ] | 
