Psychics and Fortune Tellers Still in the 20th Century

I recently attended a local Psychic Expo. It's been an annual event going back many decades. For me, it has been over 10 years since I last attended one and wanted to see if new technologies have been incorporated into this niche business category.

I was surprised to find very little has changed or anything at all.
In the 1990's, psychics would provide 30 minute readings for about $40 - $50 Canadian. Many provided show specials that combined various techniques like:

- Tarot Card reading
- Palm reading or palmistry
- Crystal ball
- I-Ching and many other forms

One benefit that these psychic readers provided was a cassette recording that you can refer back to anytime. At the time when portable cassette players were popular, it made sense to record and offer a copy of the session to the client in the cost price of the reading.

We move ahead to 2007. I carefully scanned and visited all of the booths at the Psychic Expo this year and realized that every psychic reader still offered the same cassette tapes to their clients at the end of the session.

I cannot remember the last time I actually owned a cassette tape player or even bought a blank cassette tape. This year the cost to have a reading was up to $60 Canadian for 30 minutes. Whenever I had a reading by a psychic in the past, I always found a psychic reader that I felt an unspoken connection with. This year, I chose to pass on having any readings performed since I felt no real connection that day.

I was also surprised to see a few booths involved in the computerized palm reading using desktop equipment from the days of Windows 95. Seeing a few yellowish keyboards and cracked casings just sent shivers down my back.

Here is a suggestion to those that are interested in doing psychic readings or computerized fortune printouts.

First a laptop that is equipped with Wi-Fi, CD/DVD writer and a SD card reader/writer
Wi-Fi router
Wi-Fi enabled printer with scanner
Wi-Fi enabled Windows Mobile device

The laptop or Windows Mobile device can be used to replace your obselete cassette tape recorder with a digital recording system. Wi-Fi will allow the devices to communicate to each other without the use of wires along the floor.

Users of a laptop can save the recording onto a CD, DVD or SD card to be given away.

Users of a Windows Mobile device can save the recording onto a SD card to be given away.

For anyone using a Windows Mobile device, I would suggest adding a program called Vito AudioNotes from Vito Technologies.

At $60 for a 30 minute session, I cannot see the cost of a blank CD/DVD or a blank SD memory card being a cost prohibitive factor. This is a business and business must invest good money to gain a good return in business.

I feel these psychic readers that were present at this years Psychic Expo are doing a dis-service to the whole psychic industry by offering cassette taped recordings. For the industry to grow and become accepted as a main stream form of entertainment, the latest technology must be embraced and incorporated to allow the curious public to partake in this unique form of entertainment. Most people nowadays use a mobile phone or a MP3 music player therefore are familiar in some level with digital or computer file formats.

You would think that true psychics would be in tune with the future and embrace the technology that has become a part of our daily lives. :-)

Psychic reading, tarot card reading, palmistry and all the other forms of fortune telling has been around for centuries but this does not mean psychic readers must adhere to the traditional form as far as promotion and consumer acceptance goes.

It's interesting to see how in some circles, the latest mobile technology is becoming an everyday item but in some circles are still a foreign product category.