Ashley Branton lays out tarot cards in the back of her shop, Velvet Witch, in Norfolk, Va., Thursday, June 13, 2024. The city of Norfolk recently repealed its 45-year-old ban on the practice of palmistry, palm reading, phrenology or clairvoyance, for monetary or other compensation. The 1979 ordinance was not being enforced, however, and the psychic services industry is growing.
Jokes aside, the city's repeal comes as the psychic services industry is growing in the U.S., generating an estimated $2.3 billion in revenue last year and employing 97,000 people, according to a 2023 report from market research firm IBIS World. “And people are starting to do inner work,” she continued. “They’re starting to take care of their mental health. And they’re starting to take care of the spiritual aspect."
And some bans remain in place. In October, the police chief in Hanover, Pennsylvania, told a witchcraft-themed store that any complaints about tarot card readings would prompt an investigation,The police chief cited an old state law that makes it illegal to predict the future for money.