The Psychic

First, I have to say that I am cynical of psychics, astrology, etc. I do think that some people are more in tune to metaphysical phenomena than others, much like I am more in tune to nature than others. But do I really think that people can see the future? No, not really. Yet I can’t totally rule it out either. Mostly I think that some people can be very perceptive and notice visual clues, and can make high probability guesses based on those clues. So it was with that mostly non-believing, but very curious, attitude that I sought out a psychic.

My first step was to consult with Em who is very knowledgeable of the world of astrology and such. She gave me a name, and a description and a location where psychics hang out in New Orleans. When I got to the place, there were five psychics set up with their tables but no one matched Em’s description. But I figured this was my one chance, so while Martha went into yet another museum, I sat and watched these five people trying to discern whom to try.

I quickly ruled out three of the people just on general negative vibes. But there was one woman who looked very friendly and one man, dressed entirely in black, who looked like he rode with Hell’s Angels - but the kind of guy who would stop and wait for a family of ducklings to cross the road. Both of them had customers and so I sat in the park for a while and just watched how they interacted.

I finally decided on the man, which surprised even me, and approached him when his table was free. I first asked how much it would cost and he asked me to sit down. There were three chairs around the round table and I sat with one empty chair between us. He immediately asked me to move next to him which I did. Then he made eye contact for longer than I felt comfortable with and said,

“You are a survivor”

“well, that’s kind of obvious” I thought as my mind immediately envisioned my very flat chest.

but before I could even finish that thought, he said “No, not just the breast cancer. You are a survivor. You have experienced true hell and come back.”

I didn’t say anything but I started thinking about how many times people have told me that they see sadness in my eyes.  Was he just guessing or is it that obvious???

He asked me to put my hands on the table, looked at them, covered them with his and continued,

“You are a survivor and you have done it alone.”

I started to protest that I’ve always had a lot of support in my life but he interrupted me -

“I don’t mean you didn’t have support. But what you have gone through - you did it alone.  And you are still alone with it.  You will always be alone with it.”

Hmmmmm.   He might have said more but I was still thinking about the alone thing and not listening.

Then he switched gears and said “you are married”

and I thought no shit Sherlock, I do wear a commitment ring, but you are wrong since I am not married.

But before I finished that thought he questioned, “but not a traditional marriage?”

Good guess?

I did volunteer that my partner was a woman and we chatted a little about the ridiculousness of each state having their own rules about it. Then he said,

“She is your protector, the strength of the relationship. You are her warmth.  She is the yang to your yin. You will be together until the end.”

I was good with that. 

Then he asked me if I was Catholic and I said no.  Shouldn't he know that?  He choose a deck of tarot cards and asked me to shuffle them.  Are there different decks for different religions?  Of course, all my cynicism returned thinking “my whole life is determined by a shuffle of a deck?”

I don’t know the name of the card he first turned up but he said that I was a lover of animals. True. He said that I like animals a lot better than I like people. True a lot of the time. That I could be the woman with 57 rescue animals.  So very true.  Then he went off about some story about the rats in New Orleans that eat cement.

My next card was the fool. Great.

He said, “someone has just played you for a fool, or you felt like a fool.” Which was weird because I did just say that to someone - that I felt foolish for believing  and trusting them.  But then he went on saying that the fool represents a journey I am about to take without knowing what the dangers are, which he said as more of a question.  But I didn't say anything so he continued.

He turned over the last card but I don’t remember what it was. I was still thinking about what journey I was about to take, what danger is ahead . . . maybe I shouldn’t have stopped the chemo . . . I wasn’t flying straight home, but taking a side trip through a very conservative state . . . My mind just ping ponging to several possibilities . . .

Then he asked me what I do for a living and I said I was a city planner.

He shook his head as if gravely disappointed.

“What???   I said. I love my job.”

He said “that is coming to an end. You have a much higher calling. You need to be a teacher.”

WTF?   I laughed and said “I am no teacher.” I quickly had flashbacks to trying to teach my children to play piano. Disaster. Or trying to help them with their math homework. Fiasco. Even when I was asked to teach a college class, I only did it as a team. Someone else did all the lecturing.  I sat there shaking my head, adamant, “No, I am too much an introvert. I have no patience for it. I could never be a teacher.”

He sat there patiently, like a parent waiting on a petulant child and again said “you need to teach others how to be survivors.”

Shit.

Really?

Damn.

And he just sat there smiling at me like the Cheshire Cat.  Like he knew he had hit the right chord.

Our time was up and I thanked and paid the man. Then, as I was about to walk away he said with a huge smile,

“By the way, you have a very long lifeline.”

I nodded my thanks and walked away, smiling and laughing to myself.