Perhaps the most intriguing question about life is not its purpose, but rather its design and cessation from this plane of existence. I give no validity to the previous statement as containing my views on life after death, rather as a proposition for an argument on the here and now tellers of fortune. Are they able to determine our destiny from the lines on our hands? Can they cast a prophecy on future events? Ultimately, do they possess the knowledge on when our personal existence come to pass?

It is a lovely argument that creeps up in the most favored of conversational environments, whether in the inner sanctums of your religious churches or after a heavy night of alcohol consumption. Every participant in the conversation has their own unique perspective on the mystical world of fortune casting and each is determined that they alone possess the true knowledge of design of life. Input from others is rarely incorporated into the individualÂ’s thoughts other than as a point of argument that the person feels required to rebuff.

Last week while in Washington D.C. for some job-related training, I, along with some others in the training seminar who I knew previously from another duty station, decided to “cruise” M Street, which runs through the main area of Georgetown. It is a beautiful area, filled with history and sense of nostalgia. Typically, these types of areas tend to attract pickpockets, purse-snatchers, and unfortunately, one of the lowest classes of thieves to grace our presence…the false gypsies.

After getting a fantastic steak at Nathan’s Steakhouse, one of my crew spoke of a fortune teller nearby that, for only a mere $5.00, could read our future history on the lines of our palms. He said that the last time he was in the D.C. area, he and his friends found this “fortune teller” of sorts who played the con to the hilt including the crystal ball, burning incense, and yes, authentic gypsy clothing. As he spoke, he described it in such detail as to lend credence to the woman’s ability to read the future, taking all of 15 minutes in plain view of witnesses of your choice.

We located the fortune teller’s business location which (no kidding) was located on the second floor through a dark staircase that led off the street. In front of her doorway, she had placed three signs (including an extremely bright and tacky neon sign) that stated, “Palm Reading $5.00”. We proceeded up the staircase, clinging to our skepticism by chanting a mantra that this would be for entertainment purposes only. When someone, we presumed her assistant, answered the door, we were told that she was currently with a client and inquired if we couldn’t return in approximately 10 minutes or so.

What do you do for 10 minutes on a tourist street in the middle of the night? Ah, of course. You go next door to the pub to partake of a local brew. I was bored as I was the designated driver for the evening so again, another Pepsi barkeep, and make sure itÂ’s on the rocks this time, o.k.?

After our 10 minute break in the real world, we again sought to enter the mystical world by returning to Madame Ann’s. Our knocking was answered again by her young assistant, this time with a little surprise. Apparently, the “$5.00” special so clearly advertised to the general public at the bottom of the dark staircase ended at 9:00 p.m. and the new price was to be $15.00 per person. Two of my friends and I turned to walk away while the fourth in our party tried to reason with the assistant. She pointed out the three signs advertising the $5.00 fee with no mention of 9:00 p.m. anywhere on the sign. Negotiation ended quickly when my friend Dave explained that the reading could possibly be tainted by the deception over the costs. Well, when alcohol is involved, you tend to forget the finer points of an illogical statement.

We set out in search of another teller of fortune, hoping that Madame Ann’s assistant wasn’t using the “Psychic Hotline” to contact other fortune tellers in the area about our confrontation (I thought my “Psychic Hotline” joke was funny at the time). Less than a half a block away, we stumbled upon another fortune teller whose name we did not get as it looked like much of her advertising wasn’t of the “permanent nature” for tax reasons. From the moment we knocked on her door, she seemed pretty insistent that no one else was to be in the reading and that they had to wait in the hall. An impromptu discussion among us decided that I would be her first victim.

She began by asking me to sit down and show her my palm. For ambiance meant to add weight to her powers, she lit up a foul-smelling cigarette and casually glanced once at my palm, never touching it. With the practiced monotonous tone, she told me that I would live a long life, well into my 80Â’s and that neither accident nor illness will ever affect me and that my death would be the result of old age (yeah, I couldnÂ’t believe that one either). I am a kind and gentle man, always willing to help out my family first and friends second. After a casual flick of the eyes towards my left hand, she spoke on how I am a man troubled by love (with the obvious lack of a wedding ring, I might add) and that California or New York were in my future. I have been to New York and have lived in California, neither of which offer any appeal to me as a happy home for the rest of my life.

The entire process took about 25 seconds with a combined total of the four of us in just under five minutes. For five minutes of general characterizations with no real sweat at all, $20.00 seems to be quite a bounty. This quickly explained away why none of the advertising signs seemed to be a permanent fixture.

We compared stories and each varied slightly but not so much as to give the impression that this woman possessed a special sight, let alone the ability to obtain indicators about a person from visual sight. While we could have possibly been upset at the quick loss of our money, we definitely purchased a lot of funny conversation about the woman in the minutes following our exit. All and all, it was a quick five minutes of (legal) entertainment.

With the telling of this story, you may possibly come to the conclusion that I have rebuffed the mystical world that originated with the nomadic gypsies of old. Nothing could be further from the truth. Let me tell you why.

When I lived in California a few years ago, I met a lady who I believe now to be highly connected with the spiritual world. Her name is Edna and how we came to meet is of no importance other than to state that she knew nothing of me prior to our meeting.

She told my fortune first by reading my palm. After a few minutes of observation and finger tracing, she began to tell my life history. She spoke of how twice before in my life I have suffered major heartache and those heartaches denied any chance for love in the immediate years following. During my first year of college, I began a mentally and emotionally abusing four year relationship that scarred my dating confidence for five years. Soon after my five year hiatus from the dating scene, I became involved in another relationship that ended with great emotional heartache that still has not allowed me free passage yet. That was one of the many highly specific things she was able to tell me about myself simply from reading my palm.

Furthermore, she took my date of birth, including the exact time of my birth, and cast an astrological chart, all free of charge as we had become friends in our first meeting. Let me offer to you my pledge that the 200+ page report on my astrological reading covering everything from my childhood to family relationships to work to love was like reading a bibliography of my life. None of this information contained within this report she could have possibly known as on some aspects of my life I have never discussed with even my family, let alone friends.

I am still in contact with her today and she has become quite a good friend. From time to time, she still lends me advice, whether or not I requested her counsel. More often than not, her advice has helped me in a positive way.

So, do you believe that a person can have the sight to see into your future? If so, is that not an affirmation that we all have a pre-destined life without free will? Or is the hope that we possess free-will our defiance of adhering to a script already written about our lives?

I tend to believe that a quote from the movie, “Forrest Gump”, sums it up nicely.

“I don't know if we each have a destiny, or if we're all just floatin' around accidental-like on a breeze. But I, I think maybe it's both, maybe both happening at the same time.”

Take care this week,

Rob

"Here's what will really cook your noodle... would it have broken if I hadn't mentioned it?" -The Oracle (doing it off the top of my head, so somethin' like that).

Basically, I believe that we're subject to whatever destiny we believe to be true. I was much happier when I thought that my destiny was all lined up, and everything that happened was fate... then I started questioning the whys.

THAT will cook your brain. If you hadn't been hurt by this person, would it have made a big difference in the way you handled a future relationship that wasn't meant to be?

What destiny does a bum on the street have? Why were they dealt such bad fate? Is it atonement for something, or is it just the way it happened because they need to learn something about it in this incarnation?

Is there any destiny at all? Are we just overly-intelligent, egotistical animals who can't handle the fact that there is no special fate for us, versus any other living creature in nature?

All in all, the future is visable, but it's not always set. If you truly believe you're going to die tomorrow, then wouldn't your mindset dictate you're going to?

I once had someone tell me (Someone I ran into in a store that was a Psychic) I would have 3 children..but 2 of them were different somehow (Not in a bad way though)

Turned out I ended up with 1 daughter of my own, and 2 step children...so go figure!

I am not sure that I believe in "psychics" per se, but I have great reason to believe in "super natural" powers, the likes of magick being the prime example as I have witnessed with my own eyes and felt with my own senses things that could not be explained in any other way, whether by laws of physics, nature, or any organized religion (with exception to Wicca or Druidism and the like).

Quote: Originally Posted by godfoot I am not sure that I believe in "psychics" per se, but I have great reason to believe in "super natural" powers, the likes of magick being the prime example as I have witnessed with my own eyes and felt with my own senses things that could not be explained in any other way, whether by laws of physics, nature, or any organized religion (with exception to Wicca or Druidism and the like).

I like to think we are all caught in an infinite loop...

The Universe began with a "Big Bang" and has been expanding ever since. Eventually it will reach a point where it cannot expand any more and reverse directions, it will start collapsing.
It will take a long time, billions of years, but the universe will continue to shrink.
The force of Gravity will eventually cause the Universe to compress it's entire contents into a "Singularity" much like what is at the center of a Black Hole.
Once the pressure inside the Singularity reaches critical mass, it all begins over again with another "Big Bang"

So forever we are doomed to living out lives over and over, mistakes and all...unable to change them...

Some people are either able to retain a portion of this, or can tap into some unkown mechanism sitting dormant in our brains.
(Like some early Pentium 4's that had Hyperthreading capabilities, but were never enabled)

And yes...I do watch alot of Star Trek

My life is run by fortune cookies. Trouble is I eat chinese food atleast once, sometimes twice a week.

Sweet post, Rob (the "hype" was true: Monday's thread rocked!).
Ever since i can remember, i've been intrigued by the paranormal. As i've gotten older i've become more jaded and wary of hucksters ("psychic", "religious", or otherwise), but i've still managed to retain my belief in the unknown.
Over the past 6 or so years, i've become very fond of Eastern mysticism/philosophy and Carl Jung's ideas/theories of Synchronicity and the Unconscious mind specifically as it pertains to dreams.
Do i have solid proof that my beliefs are true? No. What i do have are some very interesting experiences that have convinced me that there are things that are a part of us, part of the world in which we live, that are, as of yet, unfathomable to us.
Perhaps it's the last vestiges of youthful romanticism, but everytime i have an excellent conversation, or read an excellent article (nudge, nudge, wink, wink), i find myself with the renewed belief that we are all a part of a living and interconnected existence who's whole is greater than the sum of it's parts.
Thanks, man