Astrology biz booms as economy slides

Soothsayers are riding on good fortune since December, ever since job-loss anxiety began to take hold of India

Astrology biz booms as economy slides

Soothsayers are riding on good fortune since December, ever since job-loss anxiety began to take hold of India

Business is booming for astrologers and soothsayers, and the recession has doubled clients for some.

Relationship queries are making way for questions about job stability and business prospects.

Shortly after the credit crunch hit India, clairvoyant Sheela Bajaj started getting calls from the most unlikely places.u00a0 "All of a sudden I was hearing from professionals wanting to know if their job was secure," she told MiD DAY.

Sheela describes herself as a "professional psychic consultant". She has been in the business for more than five years.u00a0u00a0

Since the beginning of the economic downturn late last year, inquiries have doubled for Sheela.

Her experience isn't unique. Psychics, palm readers and astrologers across the city are reporting a huge increase in business now that people's jobs and retirement savings are disappearing.u00a0

"A majority of my clients used to be looking for another way of viewing their life. But now, it's all about career and finances. A lot of people come and ask, 'We've just lost our nest egg. What do we do?'" said Ashleyy, a tarot card reader.

Gem of a solution

The demand for gemstones has gone up. "With the help of numerology I've helped a lot of people who've lost their jobs. I've given them crystals to wear, and advised them to keep a pink crystal turtle in the north. This removes negative energy," said Amaano, a numerologist.u00a0

Her clients before the recession tended to be women between 20 and 25 with relationship problems. But now the only query is "Will I get thrown out?"u00a0

In India, the turnover of the prediction business was around Rs 10,000 crore in 2006. Today the market potential is estimated at around Rs 40,000 crore. That's a 300 per cent increase in three years.
Chikkamma, a roadside astrologer who does gini shastra (parrot astrology), said, "Business has definitely gone up in the last two months."

Pineapple drops

Rohan Shah said a year ago he would never have considered visiting a psychic or astrologer, but when he got to know that 50 people from his company were getting sacked, he needed to know whether he was one of them.u00a0

"I consulted a numerologist and she gave me two drops of Swami Paramanandahamsa's pineapple drops and a charm bracelet for mental strength. It really helped me and I also realised that I wasn't one of them," said Rohan.

Multiple readings

Meher Razzaq, who does coffee cup reading, said, "Ever since I came to Bangalore, the number of readings I do has been going up. People here seem to be insecure about everything, especially their jobs. I generally do only two readings a day, but now there are days when I find myself doing more than five."

Astro websites are similarly reporting a spike in business. "Because of the economic crisis and the extensive media coverage for it, a lot of people are ordering predictions from us," said Meena Kapoor, owner of Astroyogi, a website offering astrological services.u00a0

NRIs add to fortune
Astroyogi has also seen increased demand from NRIs. "Of all the services we provide, palmistry is the most interactive section and is used extensively. Work-related queries have gone up. "I see a 60 per cent increase.
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In the last two months we've done extremely well. We've got more than 10,000 hits," she told MiD DAY.