On the sixth floor of the Paddock Building downtown, a line of people milled restlessly along the hushed hallway.
They paced in front of a wooden door, which looked more like the entrance to a broom closet than the law offices surrounding it. The curious leaned inside, hoping to catch a whisper of someone else’s fate.
Kathy, a 48-year-old occupational health and safety specialist, gripped the edge of a table, covered with a few flickering candles and rows of jewel-toned tarot cards.
“What do you see?” Kathy asked.
“It ain’t good, honey,” said Alex Palermo, 42, psychic and owner of the Original Tremont Tearoom.
Palermo is stressed out by divining bad news, but it’s part of the business. It’s been busy at the shop lately. His appointment book is filling up. Regular customers have stopped by more often. New visitors are paying for the $110 hour-long reading rather than the 15-minute prediction for $30.
With the diving economy, Palermo has been working six days a week. He has also started discount readings on Sundays and half-price specials for spiritual channeling.
Photo by gravityx9.