A little over a week ago, I highlighted growing tensions within Salem over the licensing of psychic readers. One one side were established metaphysical businesses and local personalities like Laurie Cabot who wanted laws against increasing the number of licensed psychics to remain strict (and become even stricter), and on the other side were local psychic fair organizers, newer residents, and outsiders who wanted the current regulations relaxed. Things have escalated to a point where intimidation tactics, and possibly harmful magic were being employed in this local “Witch war”.

“The remains of a mutilated raccoon were left at the doorways of two of the city’s psychic shops. At 12:41 a.m. yesterday, John Ray of Salem flagged down police Sgt. Richard Gagnon and alerted him to a raccoon’s skull and a pile of intestines that had been left at the entrance to Angelica of the Angels, a shop at 7 Central St. While patrolling Essex Street about an hour later, Gagnon discovered more remains at the door to The Goddess’ Treasure Chest at 172 Essex St.”

Now it seems that the local City Council has passed a compromise measure, that while enforcing strict qualifications for licensing, is not as strict as local activists would wish.

“The City Council unanimously passed an ordinance last night to license palm readers and fortunetellers who have been in Salem for at least a year, pass a criminal background check, and submit a resume showing at least five years of experience. But a group calling itself the Witches’ Public Awareness League, made up of several locals who have for years offered psychic readings for a fee, said the proposal isn’t enough to stop interlopers who show up during the busy Halloween season and steal their business.”

This could potentially boost the number of legally operating psychics from 12 (approx. one per 10,000 residents) to hundreds, and while that pleases local Wiccans and psychics who have been operating “outside the law”, Cabot and other WPAL members seem to prefer the virtual monopoly they have enjoyed for years.

“The league wants to limit the number of palm readers allowed at psychic fairs popular around Halloween. It also seeks to require that each purveyor of psychic services pay a fee of $25 per day during fairs. Laurie Stathopoulos, a card reader for more than two decades, said that many depend on Halloween profits to get through the year. ‘To put 40 psychics in the same street is outrageous,’ Stathopoulos said before the meeting. ‘We hold people’s lives in the palm of our hand sometimes.’”

Considering the pull Cabot and her allies have with the local Wiccan and metaphysical community in Salem, I doubt this issue is over. Like I said in my original entry, when 10% of your population are practicing Witches, issues like this become a big deal. Aside from the licensing conflicts I’m curious why the WPAL (formerly the WLPA), an advocacy organization dedicated to dispelling misconceptions about Witchcraft, would involve itself in a matter that pits Witch against Witch?

Tags: Laurie Cabot, law, psychics, Salem, Wicca, Witchcraft