Palm Reading at Gypsy's Lair

Dinggot Prieto's Gypsy's Lair

I just had my palm read--and its the most satisfying esoteric service I've had!

People within my circle knew I believe in astrology, feng shui, and other esoteric sciences. I've availed of tarot readings numerous times in the past, spending as much as P1,000 for a generalized reading and walking out feeling cheated afterward.

I never tried palm reading because I had the impression that it's like tea leaf reading: gives vague answers with no scientific basis. But boy, was I wrong. Palm reading, I realized, is even more consistent than tarot cards.

In my opinion, its in the same level as astrology and feng shui. (For beginners, astrology deals with the movements of the planets. Feng shui, on the other hand, translates the energies of the world.)

Palm reading deals with reading the lines in the palm, like reading the planetary alignments in astrology. Like the solar system, the palm is a conjunction of numerous lines that fall under the ruling of a certain planet. The point finger is ruled by Jupiter while the pinky is ruled by Mercury. There are three major lines: the love line, the head line, and the health line.

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My reader is a single Caucasian man in his 60s, still energetic despite his age, and who understands Tagalog like a native. He says his grandfather speaks fluent Cuyonin (the local language in Palawan) and his ancestors are buried in national landmarks in Puerto Princesa. His office is on the second floor, on a table by the side, lit by a fluorescent lamp shade.

He only asked two things when I sat across him: What hand am I more dextrous and how old am I.

I said I'm right-handed and that I'm in my mid-20s. (I didn't tell him I used to be ambidextrous but stopped practicing with my left.) He explained that he'll read my left hand then, because the lines in my right hand will still change once I reach my 30s. The left hand is what I'm born with, he says, while the right is defined by what I do with the early years of my life.

He told me was that I'm not very confident but I will be eventually be confident of myself. But even if that happens, I'd still be humble and down to earth. I don't have an ego, he pointed out.

Then he said I have strong leadership skills because I have a star at the foot of my Jupiter finger. This also means I'm very idealistic. And when it comes to men, I tend to like men I consider as perfect but gets easily turned off once I see their "imperfect" side. Ouch.

I'm good with money--I never experience any financial woes. I hate lending money and would only do so if the need is great. But even though I'm kuripot, I'm a big spender. In my career, he says I always choose a career that leads me to money, which is good, he explained while I'm trying to control my laughter.

He also said I have strong ESP, which translates to strong instincts. This made me sigh with relief--I thought I'd end up seeing ghosts soon. He advised me to follow my instincts and I told him I follow my feelings in everything. That's good because in the end, "it's the feelings that matter," he said.

I tend to be impulsive. (Xi would easily say this: You're a sanguine, your mood changes easily, thus, being impulsive.) And he warns me because I tend to get addicted. "You might get addicted to gambling or anything:  like teleseryes." I laughed--I never told him I work in the soap opera business!

The highlight is of course, my career. And he made me giggly happy when he said my career path is excellent. He sees many stars which translates to many high points that could probably define my legacy. I have the passion and the drive to succeed. The only thing that stops me from being on top is "not running after the opportunity." In short, he says my laziness is my biggest roadblock.

What made me flush was when he asked if I'm a Gemini. I said I'm not, I'm actually a Leo. He explained that I have a shadow line near my head line that translates to a dual personality, another side that I hide from people. He said he only knew of that line in textbooks--I'm the first client with the shadow line! He told me, though, that this personality is very creative and inventive. I'm good at seeing another perspective.

"I usually see this in fiction writers," he pointed out, making my heart race.

(Yes, I have another personality but no, I'm not bipolar neither am I suffering from multiple personality disorder. You see, when I started out in journalism and I moved out of the house, I feel that I'm losing touch of my creative side so I decided to write fictions after work. I religiously write for six hours every night for the last four years. This was a secret. Him seeing this made me a believer.)

He also noticed that I couldn't sleep well (a fact) because I worry too much. And to solve this, he recommends getting a sport. I told him I plan to study figure skating because I've been dying to try out the sport since grade school. And the routine doesn't require me to literally sweat profusely.

One thing that bothers me though was when he said I'd definitely go abroad and settle down in another country. I told him that my job as a junior writer entails that I stay here in Manila. He insisted that the lines show that I will be leaving the Philippines, possibly to pursue a similar career abroad. He even quipped that if I don't leave, I'll die early!

"It doesn't have to be soap operas, you can be a writer for screenplays or any related field." The fact, he says, is that my move will be related to my current career.

That really made my eyes sparkle. Haha. Because the fact is this: If you're a creative writer, didn't you grow up envisioning yourself writing a film for an international audience? Or winning the Oscars and getting interviewed by Oprah Winfrey afterward? When I entered the world of television series, I realized that there are numerous people who share this dream. This made me conclude that despite the roundabout routes I took, I'm in the right place.

As Jack Kerouac said: Right here, right now.

But he wasn't done yet. He insisted on reading my love line because I stubbornly told him I won't marry a foreigner (because I'm destined to live abroad), let alone get married. He said I'd definitely get married (I think I'll get divorced too) and I won't have problems giving birth.

He said he sees a man who has a strong personality appearing soon in my life. He couldn't confirm if I've already met him or if I'm about to meet him. He said if he's someone I've met, he's someone I've met recently. Now this man is someone in the same field. He is more established and he'll help me creatively. We're also similar in many ways. We'll separate because of my idealism but we'll make amends eventually. And he'll probably be part of my career ventures abroad.

There's also another man who will be starkly different that the first. He didn't say if he's a keeper, though. Haha. Now, when I told friends about these, they were thrilled to death. I honestly don't know what to say because I have someone in mind and I know I'm in the wrong for even entertaining the thought.

But anyway, I tremendously enjoyed my palm reading session. It's definitely a good pay-off. The reading costs P300 and can last as long as you want (but basically around 30 minutes to 1 hour). The resident reader is at Gypsy's Lair on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. If you're in town, it wouldn't hurt to pay this man a visit. :) - 3/14/12