Parties, Fortunetellers, Hollywood, Stereotypes and Reality
Some party clients request that a reader come in “costume,” that is dressed in something that makes them look other-worldly or gypsy-ish, complete with candles, flowy skirt, heavy jewelry, crystal ball, and the whole nine yards.
In other words, they are looking for the experience of a ‘gypsy fortuneteller.’
But it may come as a surprise to you that legitimate metaphysical practitioners NEVER dress as gypsies unless they are performing as party entertainers and, outside of a party setting, I’ve never heard any refer to themselves as ‘fortunetellers.’ If you came to their offices as a client you would see a setting that looks more similar to the office of a therapist or a coach rather than something out of Hollywood.
This came as a surprise to one client of mine, a producer who was looking for a fortuneteller’s office to produce a TV commercial. He was looking for the stereotypical old woman dressed as a gypsy in a room draped with heavy curtains and festooned with stars sitting around a small round table with a crystal ball. I had to tell him that I couldn’t help him.
The boardwalk ‘gypsy’ storefronts are another matter, but many of those are scams.
In fact, because they don’t want to be associated with those operations and they dislike the baggage associated with the stereotype, many professional readers or metaphysical practitioners dislike wearing a fortunetelling costume. They work hard to be and be seen as the professionals they are and they find the ‘fortune teller’ image a hindrance to their ability to be taken seriously by the public. And many will not take on party work for that reason.
Personally, I, too, share that ambivalence about ‘dressing up in costume.’ One reason: guests that are shy or nervous relate better to a reader dressed as a civilian.
But I’ve came to realize that many party goers are looking for an experience to transport them out of their everyday world. When the party planner has worked hard to create a magical atmosphere-or around Halloween, when everyone is in costume, it is easy and fun to jump in and ‘play the fortuneteller’ as one might play a character in a theatrical production. So I no longer cringe when I hear a guest come up and ask if I am the ‘fortune teller’ and can I tell them their ‘future.’
