Kit Leffler/ Jayplay photographer
By James Foley, Jayplay writer
Maybe it's the glazed and detached look in my eyes, or my scraggly 5 o'clock shadow from three days ago that tips her off, butTina Lee is right on the money. I am stressed and exhausted, and she can tell. But the funny thing is when she notices this, she isn't paying any attention to my face—she's looking at my hand.
Sitting in wicker chairs inside a private room, Lee speaks to me calmly, thoughtfully choosing her words. Her dark brown eyes blink and move rapidly, as if focusing on everything and nothing. Her concentration is steadfast, unbroken by the murmur of the news program on the television in a nearby room. She asks what is troubling me. Unsure of how to respond, my eyes begin to wander around the room as I try to work out the answer for myself.
The rest of our encounter goes the same way, with her making bold statements and me, palm outstretched, searching my mind for an answer to what all these thoughts mean. Fortune telling works this way. She doesn't have answers for what I'm supposed to do; she can only bring certain issues to my attention. My palm is the map to my life, and she understands how to read it. In the world of soothsaying, you can find a map to your life anywhere, whether it's in the palm of your hand, a deck of cards or the celestial bodies. All you
need to do is read it.
Lee runs the Lawrence Metaphysical Shop, 11 W. $^{9\text{th}}$ St., the bright purple neon storefront just off of Massachusetts Street. She offers a variety of services, from palm and tarot readings, to a full-fledged psychic reading. She says clairvoyance runs in her family—she's a fifth generation psychic—and credits much of her ability to her lineage and her connection to God.
When we begin our session, she asks to see my right hand. This distinction is important, she says, because the right hand channels all the positive energy. Reading the left hand would result in negative conclusions. Being positive is key to the entire experience. "As long as you're positive, you can make things happen," Lee says.
Essentially, she is a counselor. She helps people address their problems and work them out by focusing on the positive elements in life. She says more than 75 percent of her clients are students, most of which have their palms read for the friendly price of $15. What she says must be good advice, too, because many of her clients make regular visits every few weeks.
Look at your hand. The three most defined lines on the palm are the heart line, the life line and head line. An expert palmist is in tune to the subtle variations of these lines and how they interact with the less dominant lines, alerting
you to the troubles and fortunes that lie ahead. A correct interpretation of the lines can forecast the span or your life, your success in the future and the vitality of your love life.
It's in the stars
Some people, like Anna Bruursema, aren't comfortable with another person telling them what awaits them in the future. She'd rather figure it out for herself. Bruursema, Olathe senior, studies astrology and dream analysis to help her understand and interpret her life. On the telephone, she sounds lively and optimistic. She tells me about how her family ran a metaphysical school while she was growing up and how her parents introduced her to the world of astrology when she was a child. Because she was constantly exposed to metaphysical thought throughout her childhood, today she actively practices astrology. Bruursema says astrology is a more personal form of fortune telling. It's something you can do yourself, compared to palm reading which requires an expert reader to understand the meaning.
Astrology supposes that the positions of the celestial bodies influence one's destiny. The exact positions of the Sun, moon, planets and the Earth at the precise moment of birth can be plotted into birth chart. This information is unique to everyone. It is the hand one is dealt in
life. A correct interpretation of the birth chart can provide incredible keys to understanding, says Michael McClain, who has been practicing astrology for more than thirty years.
Bruursema says she usually doesn't look at her birth chart because she enjoys the surprises in life. She considers herself a lucky person, everything always worked out for the best. But about two years ago, she began going though a period where nothing seemed to go her way. Even simple tasks like making doctors appointments were frustratingly difficult. Distressed, she consulted her birth chart. Sure enough, it foretold that she would be going a rough period for about two years, but once it was over her life would completely turn around. About six months ago, things did turn around. "Now, I feel like a completely different person. I'm more understanding, less frustrated and more relaxed," she says.
She says that having a firm understanding of the past and present helps you understand what will happen in the future. It's all about awareness. She doesn't discredit palmistry or tarot reading, saying they're all variations of coming up with the same answers.
So, next time you need metaphysical advice a little more substantial than the horoscope in The Kansan, think about checking your palm or the stars. You might learn something.
Jayplay 09.29.05
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