BRISTOL - Residents looking to add a touch of mystery to their lives congregated at the Clarion Hotel on Sunday for a psychic fair sponsored by Connecticut Psychics.
At the fair, six psychics sat at tables behind signs advertising their specialty: tarot, clairvoyance, reiki or astrology.
Robert Stempson, director of the Connecticut Psychics organization, handled registration and collected money from fairgoers wishing to buy a psychic reading. Every 15 minutes, Stempson clanged a large silver bell to let attendees know their session was over.
Tarot reader Jean Plowman of Bethlehem explained that reiki (pronounced RAKE-ee) has its roots in imperial Japan: "Reiki is a form of self-healing ... the psychic's role is just to help you calm down."
Plowman's area of expertise is in reading the tarot cards, precursors to today's standard playing-card deck. The tarot comes in four suits, only instead of diamonds, clubs, spades and hearts a tarot deck will have wands, swords, pentacles and cups.
"The tarot cards come in many styles. But it doesn't matter what [style] you get, because it's a tool. Tarot is a tool. I work off of your energy and you work off of mine, so it's not like there's any great magic in this. ... Your energy and my energy make the tarot cards work."
Plowman emphasized that psychics believe their power lies in the mental rather than physical realm.
"If a man is stalking you, I'm not going to give you a reading, I'm going to tell you, 'Call the police.' If you have appendicitis, I'm not going to use reiki, I'm going to tell you to go to a doctor," Plowman said. "We're not doctors. We can tell you where you're hurting, but you need to go to a doctor. Don't go to a tarot reader for medical advice. ... Ask about your job situation. Should I put my money in CDs or IRAs? I can give you advice, but you have to go home, research it and make a decision."
Although Plowman believes the tarot can help people divine the future, she says there is one prediction no true psychic will ever make. "We don't predict death. That is in God's hands."
The fair's astrologer was quite busy. Astrology is probably the best-known psychic belief today. The majority of American newspapers run syndicated horoscope columns, and it is not unusual to hear people say, "I act like this because I'm a Virgo" or "I act like that because I'm a Pisces."
Astrology is the belief that the position of the stars and planets at the time of a person's birth affects that person's personality and future. Although modern scientists say there is no factual basis to astrology, some historians believe that astrologers of old may have been describing an observable phenomenon.
In addition to Stempson and his six psychics, the fair also had a table where Pat and Mike Neilsen sold semiprecious gemstone jewelry.
"Different stones have different meanings," Pat Neilsen said as she pointed to an amethyst-bead necklace. "Amethyst is a good healing stone."
Marion Carroll of Bristol, one of the fair's attendees, sat in a chair waiting her turn for a reading.
"I'm here for a tarot card reading. I get one every four or five months." Has she ever had a reading which amazed her and made her wonder how the psychic could possibly know such things?
"Not so far," Carroll said with a laugh.
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