Written in the stars

Fortune telling in its myriad forms has been with us for millennia. Even in this day of science, horoscopes are the most popular reads in the newspaper. But the faithful claim even fortune-telling is an art, if not a science! 

TAROT CARDS
Although not immensely popular in the east, the western populace is well informed of tarot cards - a deck of 78 with four suits. Each card possesses a pictogram and title that represents a specific concept or archetype. The belief in divination associated with Tarot focuses on the prospect that whatever cards are dealt to the participant will be revelatory.

A tarot card can help guide you through your troubled emotion and clouded thoughts, by offering a reflection of your past, present, future by showing you a fresh perspective on your life. Tarot cards can help in most distressing times when you are confused about how you feel or unsure of what decisions or choices to make, it can help you receive some guidance – whether it's about love, life, future or even death! 

NUMEROLOGY
Numerology is belief in the divine, the mystical or other special relationship between a number and some coinciding events. It is considered by many as a pseudo-science. 

Numerologists just add up number assigned to the letters of your name to reach your number. Numerology has been an inseparable part of astrology since ancient times. It is the study of numbers, their combination and interaction in one's life. People are numbered everywhere from the womb to the tomb. It is right to say that "The World is based on the power of Numbers."

Another school of thought perceives numerology as a belief that everything in the universe has its own vibrating frequency. The analysis of the vibration rates associated with one's birth date and name provides significant insight into one's personality and characteristics. 

PARROT ASTROLOGY
It is not a strange sight in this part of the world to see a parrot astrologer, a fortune teller, sitting under a tree with a caged parrot and a deck of cards. Once a customer arrives, the astrologer asks his name. Then, he opens the cage and lets the parrot choose a card that is suitable to the customer's name. The parrot walks out of the cage, selects a card with its beak, and retreats to the cage. The astrologer reads out the message in the card. Divination could not be simpler!

PALMISTRY
In simple words palmistry is palm reading. This practise is found throughout the world and is still en vogue. Fortune telling is done through the study of the palms, which takes into consideration the shape of the hands, the lines of palm and fingers, the colour and the texture of the skin and finger nails; relative sizes of the palm and fingers; prominence of the knuckles, and numerous other attributes of the hands. 

Every astrologer has his own way of persuading its clients. It is not possible to get a hundred percent accurate prediction, however non-sceptics believe that the predictions can be pretty close. 

Fortune-tellers often suggest adapting a stone or a particular ritual, depending on the nature of the prediction, to follow so that the future possesses a positive outcome. Whether it works or not, is a matter of dispute. But most of us who are troubled with life take it as a mystery, and just goes with the flow.

By Mehnaj Kabir