Fate Accompli

Talk to the hand: What does destiny hold in store for you? The last time I went to see a psychic, it was a life-changing experience. After all the good news about the wealth and the glittering media career that was (and hopefully still is) coming my way, we got onto my love life. My girlfriend had been acting a little distant for some time and he told me she had a secret - perhaps that she wanted marriage. Delighted with this news, I took the first opportunity to ask her, a few evenings later. Sadly, instead, a late-night knock on the door heralded the appearance of a strange man. Let's just say my ex may well have had marriage on her mind but it wasn't to me. Undaunted by this setback, I jumped at a chance to submit to three practitioners of the occult arts - a palmist, tarot reader and astrologer. What did I have to lose but my cynicism? And, if I could debunk all that hocus-pocus nonsense, all the better. The palmist Gary's reading of my character is spot on -modesty forbids that I tell you just what a wonderful person I am - and his warnings about my health keenly identify the two areas that I have been putting off seeing my GP about. He also clearly sees the loss of my 'soulmate' and how much it still affects me. He has few words of consolation, however, and advises me it is time to let go. The good news is that a new love is in the offing. Although I do not know her now, she is coming into my life in six months and I will happily spend the rest of my life with her. She has two children and the name Karen is significant. Gary Markwick is a palmist based in Camden Lock, North London. Tel 07988996414, www.palmistryinhand.com Gary also provides healing and Reiki. Tel 0871 250 1240 (or corporate parties). The tarot reader The two-hour drive to see Tom leaves me in a mood that is far from empathetic. I have few expectations of the tarot cards -it's purely a random process, right? She asks me no questions -the cards do all the talking. A major trauma in which 'I feel as if a rug has been suddenly pulled out from under me' has left me distrustful of women. She accurately describes my current state of mind: 'You've put yourself into a box, cut yourself off from people.' She also sees a major love looming, also with at least one child. Toni thinks she's Latino and that our relationship will cause her to split from her family - probably because she is divorced. But Toni's time scale puts this at 18 months or longer. Everything she says makes perfect sense to me -even though the journalist in me would like her to be completely wrong. And, before you scoff, how did she - or Gary the palmist, come to that know I'm not happily married or gay? (Or, of course, both?) Toni Allen, tarot reader and astrologer, offers personal readings at £40 per hour: Tarot parties and workshops available. Tel: 01252 324 982 or 07796303405. The astrologer My last call is to Metro's resident astrologer, David Wells, who is too busy to see me but sends my chart via e-mail -so it should be totally objective. He notes: 'You give the impression of not being very interested (this has been built up through a string of difficult disappointments and is a defence mechanism).' And: 'You love indulgence in all of life's more hedonistic pleasures. So we have an icy front hiding something rather warmer for those with the patience and ability to push defrost,' he writes. 'September 2004 sees somebody significant in your life becoming all the stronger, somebody who may have been loitering around for some time, somebody who finally plucks up the courage to enter the fortress. It seems that things dramatically change by spring 2005, with a much more committed relationship cemented in your life.' So I may or may not know this new woman,and she could appear between a month and 18 months from now. But both astrologer and palmist agree that six months' time is significant. We'll keep you posted. David Wells, www.davidwells.co.uk [Metro Sep29,2004]