New Psychic Laws in the UK , Commentary

What if you spent your life (as a hobby or career) aiding clients in uncovering the future or making decisions that could affect an entire destiny? This is the typical way of a psychic. Sadly, those living in the United Kingdom are facing new laws, which are making them feel as if they are losing their right to exercise their powers. So , what is all the ruckus about?

Recent legislation is singling out those who charge patrons looking for the services of mediums, faith healers, and fortune tellers. This includes anyone who claims to possess the gift to receive messages from beyond; uses séances to foretell the future. This law also affects tarot card readers and people marketing their gifts in clairvoyance. Legislation is now frowning upon people who expect money in return for these services.

According to the Office of Fair Trading , psychic mailings that promise “spiritualist services” are estimated to have cost Britons a hefty sum (£40 million) in the past couple of years. Now , people who market these sort of powers are expected to tell customers that what they have to give has not been proven ‘real’ and is being forced to carry the brand of “entertainment only.” This is a sure slap in the face for those who claim their powers have been inherited through their generations or have experienced a supernatural experience that has led to their “gift.”

In the world of psychics, many have come across those who seem quite vulnerable to the allure that someone can tell their future. There are individuals that may spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on these services, which has become a troublesome subject for some to swallow. For this reason, psychics will now have to prove that they did not mislead or take advantage of a customer at any time.

The stricter laws could create a backlash against mediums. Who is to say that dissatisfied patrons won’t simply ‘cry wolf’ and press for legal action due to the revised regulations? This is a sentiment shared by many others in the business. Others are insulted that their ‘talents’ are being criticized, questioned, and regulated. There have been some mediums who have offered their services for many, many years. To classify what they do as entertainment is pretty low.

My thoughts on the subject , no one is twisting the arm of an individual who walks into the shop of a fortune teller and wishes to hear what the stars or cards have in their future. Just with any product or service , miraculous results are not always the case.

For example, just because a woman purchases lipstick and eye shadow , doesn’t mean she will become a Cover Girl overnight and get the man of her dreams. When she purchased the product, it was with the intentions to enhance her appearance. I feel fortune telling, séances, and the lot are additional means of feeling better about yourself, your life, and your current circumstances. It is your choice to purchase the services of a medium just as much as it is to fill your make-up case with 20 different shades of lipstick.

I think it is unfair to classify mediums as a form of entertainment. It is also unfair to customers who take their visits rather seriously. Is what they seek “a joke?”

As a result of the law, a collection of fortune tellers, spiritual healers, and mediums marched on Downing Street to protest the new laws. Some are very concerned that they will find themselves “persecuted and prosecuted”. Is this just another “witch hunt?”