Psychics' New Line of Business: Travel Advisers

Travel is apparently becoming such a pain that people need a sixth sense to make it go smoothly. So says the New York Times, which stitches together anecdotal evidence to make the case that more people are asking psychics for all manners of travel advice—the best days and times to fly, how to harness energy to deal with delays and stress, etc. One psychic featured in the article consults her deck of cards along with a planetary calendar on her iPad to dispense advice for $100 per half-hour.

Tomorrow, for instance, is a dandy day given the date of 11/11/11. “It means angelic protection,” says the psychic. "It’s all about embracing a new vibration." Her client then wonders about taking a trip in January on Friday the 13th. It's fine: Worrying about that date is just a "stupid-stition." It's not just psychics seeing a surge, apparently: Psychologists also report more travel inquiries, especially from those under the pressure of a business trip in the strapped economy. "People are looking for any way to get control," says one. (More psychic stories.)