PA News: Betting on psychics to predict the futures

**Valigarmander** · 10-14-2008, 11:10 PM

Source: Staten Island NY Local News

Stressed by a sagging economy, more Islanders turn to Tarot cards and crystal balls for $$ advice
Monday, October 13, 2008
By KAREN O'SHEA
STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- More of psychic Adele Basil's customers are asking for a glimpse into their financial future.

There are the people who have lost jobs and others who are losing homes. Many are just struggling to make ends meet in the midst of rising gas and food prices, Ms. Basil said of the customers who have come into her Port Richmond shop, Mystikal Wonders, over the last year.

As much as life and love, clients today want to know about the fate of their investments when they get her $40 reading.

"They all have one request: Tell me about my money," she said. "I will help show them how to do spells to maintain the energy around them and clear the blockages in their path that are stopping them from being abundant and prosperous."

Maybe Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson and Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke should visit Mrs. Basil's 8-year-old Mystikal Wonders store.

With the top money minds in the country unable to calm the panicky stock market and unclog credit markets, it stands to reason that more people are turning to the spiritual world for help. Local churches and psychics report an uptick in business in recent weeks and months.

"They use psychics for people who are missing, so why not this?" asked Karen Goss, a Bulls Head resident who booked Ms. Basil for a psychic reading fund-raiser at the end of the month for the American Cancer Society.

Mrs. Goss, 41, typically asks the psychics she visits about health issues, personal relationships and her husband, who died of cancer in 2005.

This time, though, she also plans to ask about finances, and she expects others to do the same.

"I think so because of how the market is going so crazy. A lot of people are worried about it," she said. "Life can change in blink of an eye."

Those who've watched their retirement savings drop precipitously in the last few weeks know that well, as do most market investors and the former Wall Street CEOs who've fallen from grace, even if the latter descent has often been cushioned by millions in bonuses and potential bailouts for the struggling companies they left behind.

But were there signs of an imminent catastrophe last summer?

In July, the Staten Island Astrologers Guild ran its six-month forecast in the Advance titled: "What's in the Stars?"

"Delusions of grandeur will be over by the end of the year, taking down a few more disgraced public figures," read one part of the planetary prediction.

"Unearthed will be the rotten apples higher up in any chain of command. Watch the fields drugs, food, oil and war, and then for disclosure and reform.... Tradition will be back in style."

Faye Schiff, an Emerson Hill resident and longtime member of the guild who helped put together the forecast, also last year hinted at a possible Super Bowl upset. Yes, the same game where the underdog New York Giants beat the undefeated New England Patriots in one of the greatest upsets in football history.

But the modest Ms. Schiff is quick to point out that she is not a psychic who relies on her senses to make predictions, but an astrologer who works with numbers, degrees, minutes, seconds and planets.

Not unlike Wall Street.

"I sort of feel like this whole thing is tied to our ecology, and that we've destroyed ourselves," she said. "We are really spoiling our planet and we've done that in a lot of different ways, from using too much energy and from being wasteful."

But all is not lost.

Ms. Schiff and Ms. Basil both point out that we are currently in what's known as Mercury retrograde. It's a period of time when people need to be careful with anything that has to do with communication and travel. Mercury will turn direct later this week and things could become a little more clear and settled by the following week, the women said.

A full moon tomorrow might also provide another hitch for the market before things settle down.

"We get a lot of interesting words from the moon such as lunar and lunacy. It builds emotional pressure, so that is adding to what we are dealing with now, and everyone is getting to that high sea" added Ms. Schiff.

Karen O'Shea is a news reporter for the Advance. She may be reached at oshea@siadvance.com.

10-14-2008, 11:10 PM	#1
Valigarmander The Bee's Knees Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: The land of rain and trees (Oregon) Gender: Posts: 29,755 Thanks: 1,649 Thanked 5,700 Times in 2,580 Posts Blog Entries: 20	PA News: Betting on psychics to predict the futures Source: Staten Island NY Local News Stressed by a sagging economy, more Islanders turn to Tarot cards and crystal balls for $$ advice Monday, October 13, 2008 By KAREN O'SHEA STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- More of psychic Adele Basil's customers are asking for a glimpse into their financial future. There are the people who have lost jobs and others who are losing homes. Many are just struggling to make ends meet in the midst of rising gas and food prices, Ms. Basil said of the customers who have come into her Port Richmond shop, Mystikal Wonders, over the last year. As much as life and love, clients today want to know about the fate of their investments when they get her $40 reading. "They all have one request: Tell me about my money," she said. "I will help show them how to do spells to maintain the energy around them and clear the blockages in their path that are stopping them from being abundant and prosperous." Maybe Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson and Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke should visit Mrs. Basil's 8-year-old Mystikal Wonders store. With the top money minds in the country unable to calm the panicky stock market and unclog credit markets, it stands to reason that more people are turning to the spiritual world for help. Local churches and psychics report an uptick in business in recent weeks and months. "They use psychics for people who are missing, so why not this?" asked Karen Goss, a Bulls Head resident who booked Ms. Basil for a psychic reading fund-raiser at the end of the month for the American Cancer Society. Mrs. Goss, 41, typically asks the psychics she visits about health issues, personal relationships and her husband, who died of cancer in 2005. This time, though, she also plans to ask about finances, and she expects others to do the same. "I think so because of how the market is going so crazy. A lot of people are worried about it," she said. "Life can change in blink of an eye." Those who've watched their retirement savings drop precipitously in the last few weeks know that well, as do most market investors and the former Wall Street CEOs who've fallen from grace, even if the latter descent has often been cushioned by millions in bonuses and potential bailouts for the struggling companies they left behind. But were there signs of an imminent catastrophe last summer? In July, the Staten Island Astrologers Guild ran its six-month forecast in the Advance titled: "What's in the Stars?" "Delusions of grandeur will be over by the end of the year, taking down a few more disgraced public figures," read one part of the planetary prediction. "Unearthed will be the rotten apples higher up in any chain of command. Watch the fields drugs, food, oil and war, and then for disclosure and reform.... Tradition will be back in style." Faye Schiff, an Emerson Hill resident and longtime member of the guild who helped put together the forecast, also last year hinted at a possible Super Bowl upset. Yes, the same game where the underdog New York Giants beat the undefeated New England Patriots in one of the greatest upsets in football history. But the modest Ms. Schiff is quick to point out that she is not a psychic who relies on her senses to make predictions, but an astrologer who works with numbers, degrees, minutes, seconds and planets. Not unlike Wall Street. "I sort of feel like this whole thing is tied to our ecology, and that we've destroyed ourselves," she said. "We are really spoiling our planet and we've done that in a lot of different ways, from using too much energy and from being wasteful." But all is not lost. Ms. Schiff and Ms. Basil both point out that we are currently in what's known as Mercury retrograde. It's a period of time when people need to be careful with anything that has to do with communication and travel. Mercury will turn direct later this week and things could become a little more clear and settled by the following week, the women said. A full moon tomorrow might also provide another hitch for the market before things settle down. "We get a lot of interesting words from the moon such as lunar and lunacy. It builds emotional pressure, so that is adding to what we are dealing with now, and everyone is getting to that high sea" added Ms. Schiff. Karen O'Shea is a news reporter for the Advance. She may be reached at oshea@siadvance.com.