(TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 2007 )
All this might sound hooey to some, but the list of people, who believe they have been able to control their progression/destiny by knowing what the future has in store, runs long. The believers refuse to call it superstition. Instead they believe that astrology and related arts or divination like numerology, palmistry, tarot, crystal ball, aura cleaning help them fully realise their potential and enhance their prospects of extracting maximum out of minimum. They believe astrological predictions are holistic and take into account the planetary movement and the position of stars. This belief seems to transcend age, class and nationality.
Welcome aboard — with everyone from the corporate, political and entertainment world turning to divination, it’s a flourishing business today. Many astrologers have hit the headlines for having helped change the fortune of people and in the process, making fortunes for themselves. Increasingly, companies are turning to astrological advises for a range of things, from hiring staff to concluding deals. This new phenomenon has led to the emergence of specialised business and commodity astrologers.
And most of them are not saffron-robed or parrot carrying abracadabra guys. The are tech savvy and are aware of all national and global developments. The lucre of divination is such that many professionals have quit their jobs to take up prophesying full time. Meenakshi Rani, an advocate by profession, is now an expert tarot reader. Another tarot expert Sunita Menon was an air-hostess. Aura reader Suresh Aggarwal is lecturer by profession.
K N Somayaji, director, Kalpatharu Research Academy, which is attached to the famous Sringeri Shankar Mutt, spouts jargons like financial markets, industrial espionage, portfolio management and disinvestment. The well-travelled Somayaji’s client list makes impressive reading and includes top industrialists and politicians. So do the client list of Sanjay B Jumaani, Sunita Menon, Meenakshi Rani, Suresh Aggarwal and Rajeshwar Shastri. The maverick Bejan Daruwala and Ma Prem Usha are, of course, legendary names.
The kind of money people are willing to shell out to know the unknown is unbelievable. Though many of these fortune-tellers claim they do not charge money and only take what their client offers as “dakshina”, the fees can range from Rs 750 to Rs 5,000 per sitting. Sometimes, the antidote depends upon the money the client is willing to shell out.
A tarot card reader in the newspaper can get anything between Rs 5,000 and Rs 20,000 a month for her weekly column depending on her/his popularity, Sunita Menon charges Rs 1,500 per sitting. Ajay Bhambi, a pioneer in astrology software, charges Rs 1,500 for yearly predictions and Rs 5,000 for five-year predictions. Bejan Daruwala charges Rs 3,000 for reading one horoscope. His charges can go up to Rs 5,000. Ma Prem Usha charges Rs 1,500 per sitting. Her daughter Rithambara Usha charges Rs 3,000 per reading, while Rani charges Rs 3,000 per session.
And what is drawing the corporates to these guys who fortell the future by interpreting omens or by using paranormal or supernatural powers? “The curiosity to know what the future hold is a basic human instinct. Whether it’s the election results or a stock market performance, the concerned people believe predictions help them be in control of situations,” says Rani.
Jumaani, however, feels “liberalisation has led to more competition and opportunities. There’s greater awareness about astrological science. “Scientists can go wrong but science can’t go wrong. People believe astrologers help them realise their potentials and chart their path accordingly,” says Rajeshwar Shastri.
Somayaji’s usual jargon-coated take is “L.P.G (liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation) and I.C.E have shrunk the world and made it tough for businessmen. Therefore, their belief in astrology has gone up. There is greater uncertainty and turmoil today and people seek divine intervention. People are result-oriented and not reason-oriented. Talking to astrologers boosts their morale.”
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