By: Esther Laconian
While most long standing businesses are struggling to make ends meet due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the resulting shutdown, there have been some unlikely gainers. As reported by the NY Post, New York’s psychics and fortune-tellers are reporting more clients and more income than ever before. Seemingly, these soothsayers benefit in times of uncertainty and distress. “When there’s a big change in the world, or more uncertainty in the world, that is when people look for more certainty,” said psychic Betsy LeFae. “Everyone now wants more certainty, and yes – that is when people tend to turn to psychics.” LeFae is performing virtual sessions, while she has moved upstate during the pandemic. She charges her clientele, mostly based in the city, $997 for an hour-long reading. Despite this exorbitant rate she says nevertheless she has seen an increase in business and those desperate for her guidance.
Even New Yorkers who had never before turned to fortune-tellers, now seem to be looking for some sort of spiritual direction. East Village psychic Kathleen Lee used to cater to the city’s ample supply of tourists. Now, with the tourism industry virtually non-existent, her newly reopened business attracts locals anxious to get any guidance in how to navigate this “new normal”. “In my 30 years I’ve never had so many clients from the same block or the same neighborhood,” said Lee.
Medical professionals, who witnessed so much loss and confusion, are among those seeking out the help of psychics, Manhattan psychic Marion Hedger told the Post. “I’ve seen quite a few medical people, doctors, people like that, at my office space,” said Hedger, who charges $85 for a half-hour reading or $165 per hour. She said her weekly income doubled from $1,000 before COVID-19 to $2,000 post-pandemic.
Brooklyn astrologer and psychic Kim Allen said she feels her clients have been desperate for relationship advice since the lockdown. “People have been panicked – not so much for career, but for love,” said Allen, who cited a 35 percent uptick in clients since the pandemic. “Love is really important, I think people were really feeling the sting of isolation,” she said, particularly noting those dating who were separated by the quarantine.
“Any astrologer worth their salt knew there was going to be a ‘before’ January 2020 and an ‘after’ January 2020, and that life would never be quite the same again,” boasted Angel Eyedealism and astrologer based in the East Village, citing a rare conjunction of Saturn and Pluto as the cause for the chaos. Another perk of being a fortune-teller is that they don’t even have to worry about getting sick from their clients. “I’m psychic … So I know if they are [sick],” said Catherine Marks who provides readings at Namaste Bookshop in Union Square, and who has seen her income double, and even triple since the pandemic. “People are sent to my table, and if they’re sent, they’re not going to be sick. I’m the real deal.”
