Amarillo psychics and tarot card readers see demand surge during pandemic

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) — In a world of uncertainty, people are looking for reassurance and for some, that’s the table in the back of Sticks and Strings Bakery.

Psychic and spiritual life coach, Tami L. Jones has been keeping busy during the pandemic. “Things just exploded,” Jones said.

In 2019, she was doing seven to 10 readings a week, but since late last year that number has risen to more than 22.

“They need someone who doesn’t have a dog in the fight,” Jones said.

Many of his new clients are young people in their 20s and 30s who are worried about their finances.

“About 90% of our business is about love, ‘Does he love me? Does he come back? and from about March it was more fear, that they needed reassurance,” Jones said. “In August, all the calls I got were about finances and jobs, mostly jobs.”

For some, getting a reading is part of a daily routine.

“I was really expecting a drop and it’s not,” said Tarot reader April Hayes.

During the pandemic, Hayes has seen some of her clients more frequently.

“It gives them validation from an outside source,” Hayes said. “I don’t go into any preconceptions because I’m not a family or a friend or someone who just wants to give them what they want to hear.”

“When we are uncertain, we seek out anything that can comfort us,” said Jacqueline Flynt, licensed professional counsellor. She says it can be hard to accept that we don’t have control over a lot of things, which makes people look for him where they can find him.

“It may come back to our faith, it may be seeking answers with people who can tell us something even when we don’t feel like we have answers,” Flynt said.

She went on to say that part of the appeal of these “spiritual new age” practices is the unknown.

“A lot of times we don’t understand why the charts say what they say or why astrology gives us this information,” Flynt said. “So if we don’t know where it came from, we have no reason to argue, it’s true.”

Both Jones and Hayes say the charts show a much brighter 2022.