Philadelphia Stops Psychics

from The Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia's fortune-tellers didn't see it coming. Suddenly they're facing a very unhappy future. Alerted to an obscure state law banning fortune-telling "for gain or lucre," the city's Department of Licenses and Inspections is closing storefront psychics, astrologers, phrenologists and tarot-card readers who charge money for their services. Inspectors had closed 16 shops since Tuesday.

Fortune-telling for profit is a third-degree misdemeanor. The law has been on the books for more than 30 years. Inspectors are not imposing fines, and police are not making arrests, but they will if these people try to return to work.