Know thyself. Or get a psychic.
September 26, 2007 | By Rebecca ThormanHercules and I recently visited Janet, the Psychic. The Psychic Gallery has bright red carpets, a strange mix of leather couches and plastic lawn chairs, and the fee is $35 to get your palm read. She also offers tarot card readings and full on what-is-your-future readings sans the crystal ball. The entire atmosphere screams rip-off, and it is located a short block from the State Capitol. Only in Madison.
No matter. It was just the entertainment Hercules and I were looking for on a rainy afternoon.
I didn’t want my palm read, but humored Hercules inside. After Janet the Psychic finished a surprisingly accurate reading of Hercules, and told us, in detail, about the zit beneath her eyebrow, Hercules decided that I should get my palm read too. “I’ll pay for it,” he insisted.
I shrugged my shoulders and was about to outstretch my palm when Janet the Psychic proclaimed she wouldn’t read my palm that day. I should come back a different day, she said, and not with Hercules. Yeah. Okay. That’s not shady at all.
We changed the subject, and then just as Hercules and I were about to leave, Janet the Psychic insisted, “But I do want to tell you something before you go. Free of charge. Not with him in the room, though.” Hercules left obediently, and Janet spoke.
And I don’t know if it was what she said, or how she said it, or the sudden coldness in the room that gave me goosebumps, but I felt the devil himself had just ripped my heart out of my chest.
How could this woman who had known me less than twenty minutes hit on the exact thing that I tried to ignore daily with the right friends and the right clothes and the right job?
I didn’t say anything back to her, nodding only slightly. She continued on, speaking of things that I knew, but never discussed. And how I needed to change all of it. Quickly.
I suppose she could have said those things to anyone and it would have been true, but would it have been the same gut-wrenching experience for others?
Because the thing about fear, and that’s really all she was talking about, is that it takes on a life of its own and you call it bad, because that’s what it is, but you make it good and that eats up your heart. I’ll tell you. It takes big monstrous bites of your heart and chews it like the trucker chews on the grizzle in his sausage-bacon-egg biscuit.
And Janet the Psychic saw through that. In twenty minutes. And perhaps just as quickly, I forgot about what she said, refusing to speak of it to Hercules, or anyone else. Life went on. Because I’m too busy and too proud to live in fear. So I thought.
Then this Sunday afternoon, my sister who is visiting from England, and I were walking down State Street. We are completely different; she is curvaceous where I am not, and bohemian where I am refined. We walked with the sun beating the sweat onto our arms, and in other spots that women shouldn’t sweat in, and my sister exclaimed:
“Oh, tarot card readings! Let’s do that,” pointing at a sign describing another psychic on State Street. Another one. Because one psychic isn’t enough in Madison.
And wouldn’t you know. The second psychic said the exact same thing as the first. Like, do they all talk to each other or something? Right.
So I paid a little more attention this time. Because I don’t believe in psychics, but I get it when life is slapping you in the face. A wall in front of the yellow brick road only appears because you’re ready to find a way through. Which is kind of exciting. To overcome challenges, that is. Like when my mother taught me how to balance the checkbook when I was young, and how it still gives me great pleasure to figure out where the last .03 comes from to reconcile the two sides. So, I’m announcing that I get it. Life can get off my back. And I’m a huge dork. I know.
See, leaders aren’t leaders because they show no emotion and are stoic and sly. It’s because they overcome their challenges, and inspire others to do the same. You have to know yourself, what your issues are, and work to make yourself and the world a better place.
That’s the journey, and it’s quite beautiful when you think about it. When you think about how great you are to have overcome what you have, to have accomplished what you have, to be so uniquely and utterly you. To be able to thrive off of challenge. Challenges are, in fact, opportunities, and the road is ripe with them. A fact that makes me quite happy, and should make you quite happy as well.
With a great big grain of salt, if you think someone can read you and tell you where to change, and you think you should and can, then by all means, go for it. Good luck! We are all learning, growing and changing and hopefully for the better.
Comment by Linda — September 26, 2007 #
I don’t really believe in tarot cards and stuff, but I guess if two of them told you the exact same thing, it may be more than coincidence. Something to think about, that’s for sure. I hope you get to sort it out Rebecca! Good luck.
Comment by Kelvin — September 26, 2007 #
@ Linda - Well, I’m not going to start seeing a psychic regularly, but any information is good
@ Kelvin - it was strange how they said the same thing. It was mostly entertaining, and it’s fun, but it also is good to examine things when life’s coincidences come up I think.. thank you for commenting!
Comment by Rebecca Thorman — September 26, 2007 #
I find it best to hind all insecurities under a triple layer of sarcasm, arrogance, and feigned indifference. That keeps the psychics guessing. I would recommend working on your defense mechanisms, putting up shields etc, rather than actually addressing shortcomings in your person. Then go to two more psychics and watch them stumble over themselves to try to figure you out.
Comment by Johannes — September 26, 2007 #
Great post Rebecca! I’m a big believer that overcoming your own issues or weaknesses is often the largest accomplishment you can have! Although I’m not sure about the psychic, I’m always open to new experiences so maybe I’ll have to give it a chance!
On a side note, what’s up with Madison, I see a lot of people have been moving there lately…
Comment by Jeremy Salter — September 27, 2007 #
It is amazing how life speaks itself into your physical reality sometimes, isn’t it? Really, it’s probably just a matter of your brain making sense out of the world, making its own connections. Perhaps the conscience poking its little head to the surface of your thoughts. But those moments of clarity are priceless. Blessings, really.
Comment by Tiffany — September 30, 2007 #
I don’t really know why I am commenting on this lol.
I guess I just came across your post and would like to say that I never tried to “Rip your heart out”
I can only tell you what I see/feel.. I have no control over that.
I have pointed out very clearly the things that you need to address in your life in order for you to progress..
I would love to see you again, And even tho I read for many many people I do remember you very clearly.
You have a very strong energy that quite honestly, I cannot forget..
Oh I do have one question… Do you really not like how it looks in here? and BTW, Lawn chairs are only in the reading area because the chairs I am having made are still not done.
Hercules was a cutie too!
Love & Light,
Janet
http://www.ThePsychicGalleryOnline.com
Comment by Janet Merino (The psychic) — September 30, 2007 #
I was in the east village in NYC in the 70s and was almost jumped by a man who had been waiting for hours outside a cafe for a promised “something to eat.” He was so enraged that it never came that he started to attack me, but I calmed him down and ended up taking him to a cafe for a meal (where he stood up and told the crowd not to mess with his friend). Afterwards, I stopped at a pyschic reader’s (for the first time) just to see what the deal was. The first thing she said was, “You are in a great deal of danger.” Well, no, not now . . . earlier, yes. They’ve got a good nose, these gypsies, and it’s an art . . . but not a science. Take the saltshaker with you.
Comment by Michael Holley Smith — October 1, 2007 #
Once, I found myself patronizing Badger Popcorn - also on State Street. Upon entering the establishment, I was greeted by a baffling scenario which I find comparable to the described story above.
The lights dimmed and an iridescent illumination emanated from the popcorn kettle. A small boy appeared from beyond the counter. With a blank expression on his face he extended his hand and pointed directly at me. After a brief moment of silence, he began speaking in tongues. Being that it was a popcorn store naturally the gibberish was a series of corn-related phrases and terms only discernible by those of us who happen to be born in Iowa, the corn state.
“Knee high by the fourth of July.” he said in the most uncanny inflection. He continued with a string of corn code, “kernel”, “husk” and “shuck” bellowed from the boy in a monotone voice as the empty kettle mechanized a palindrome-like sound which broke the silence in a regular interval as it rotated.
I stood - in total amazement - as a man suddenly appeared next to youngster. His expression shared that of the boy’s. Distant. Removed. Unapproachable.
Then, shortly after the appearance he asked me. “what size popcorn son?”
Adrenaline entered my system, spawning an acute sense of awareness. How the heck did this guy know I wanted popcorn? I never mentioned to anyone that I was hungry for popcorn. How, then did he know?
I haven’t been back since.
I have no doubt that the supernatural experiences we share when entering such establishments. However when we arrive looking for answers to unasked questions (or popcorn), it’s easier to receive messages - however coded they may be.
Unlike my dramatized story above, in your case what was being sought was something deeper. Contained in the inner conscience. However, it was as obvious to the palm reader as it was to the popcorn guy. If you’ve ever worked retail, you know that you can instantaneously - and quite regularly - predict what your customers want by how they act and react to the surroundings presented to them.
The very fact that we enter the establishment already communicates a specific want. A want for popcorn or deeper meaning in who we are as a person.
All of us hold something back from the rest of the world, it’s a form of self-preservation. Psychics are very talented at exposing those inner feelings, desires or fears. It’s their job. Unfortunately most of the feelings we deem unique to only us are commonplace and therefore abundantly recognizable by the trained professional.
While I don’t believe in the psychic powers, I dare not discredit the effect they can have on our lives.
I keep fortune cookie fortunes on my refrigerator and I read my daily horoscope while I wait for my coffee at Starbucks. Some days I am amazed at how closely they match my life. They draw out the inner fears and thoughts I’ve carried with me since I was a young boy. And even though I don’t trust the source, I trust the intelligence behind the prediction.
I wasn’t the only person entering the popcorn shop that day, and shortly after opening his store the owner probably got the idea that when someone comes through the door, they’re looking for some popcorn. The only remaining question is what size.
Creative people find inspiration in the cracks of sidewalks, intelligent people can find meaning in most dimly lit rooms. That works for me.
Comment by Dan Merfeld — October 1, 2007 #
@ Michael - I take everything with a grain of salt. .. good reminder though and great story, and precisely why I don’t live in NYC
@ Dan - your comment made me laugh so hard! Really, Dan, I love your comments and love your blog. Thanks for sharing
Comment by Rebecca Thorman — October 2, 2007 #
I’m glad I’m not the only one that loves psychics! My friend and I were driving past one once and she noted that it was NEVER open. I told her of course not, it was only open when she foresaw people coming in that day. Duh!
Comment by nancypearlwannabe — October 2, 2007 #
Fortune telling… About a year back, as I was struggling to get a story on paper, I began studying tarot, because it was something one of my characters knew how to do, and I wanted accurate depictions. I never had any strange experiences, but I have always wanted to go and have my cards read, so I can see what I’m missing.
(And in the interim, the story has been reworked, and the character no longer reads tarot cards.)
Comment by Kate Hutchinson — October 2, 2007 #
Been Meaning to Publish the W List, So Here It Is…
Been meaning to post The W List of women bloggers, inspired by the AdAge Power 150 list. Here it is, and I’m proud to be included. A day in an astrologer’s life by Jacqueline BigarA Girl Must Shop by Megan Garnhum A Little Pregnant by Julie A Luminou…
Trackback by B.L. Ochman's weblog: Internet marketing strategy, social media trends, news and commentary. — October 2, 2007 #
@ nancypearlwannabe - hilarious. I laughed out lout. Thanks for sharing!
@ Kate - I recommend it just because it’s interesting and we should all have entertaining stories to tell
I don’t think I knew you wrote fiction… you’ll have to share sometime!
Comment by Rebecca Thorman — October 2, 2007 #
@ Janet Merino (the psychic) - Thank you for commenting! I don’t mind the atmosphere actually; it’s quite nice, sans the lawn chairs, I think. It’s all personal preference though. The experience overall was quite enjoyable, really. Someday I will back…
Comment by Rebecca Thorman — October 2, 2007 #
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