NAMELY NICK: Reporter tells about his psychic reading

I had always wanted to visit a psychic, but was just a bit too scared and skeptical to find out what the illustrious crystal ball held inside for me.

When I bounced around the story idea of going to a psychic to get local predictions for 2009, I selfishly thought maybe this was a foot in the door to get my own reading.

Walking into the newly opened 7th Direction in Groveland, I expected burning incense, crystals and stars, door beads, bedazzled floor pillows everywhere and New Age mood music pumping through every room.

It was almost like how you would imagine the guest bedroom at Dionne Warwick’s house during her “psychic friends” days.

On the contrary, I was surprised to find it quite warm and inviting — almost office-like, with comfortable couches and coffee brewing.

A small room off to the side featured more of what I expected for the entire business — a fireplace decorated with burning candles, shimmery drapes, spiritual books and what looked like tiny goblets hanging from the ceiling.

While I did the interview, one of the ladies mentioned she knew how to analyze handwriting.
This was my “in.”

I tossed her my notebook and she almost knocked me off the couch cushion with what she had to say.

I have many friends, but I’m picky and only keep a small circle really close to me. I came to Peoria to distance myself from past hurts. I’m very sensitive, but can also be very blunt.
She got all of that based on how I dot my “i’s” and cross my “t’s”?

She also said she teaches classes on how you can change your negative personality traits by changing your handwriting.

When speaking with 7th Direction’s resident psychic John Porter, I will admit his 2009 predictions seemed a bit broad.

But I got a good vibe from him and really wanted to know what info he could give me on myself. Admittedly, I started to feel weird — a feeling I couldn’t shake for about an hour after I left.
He asked me to e-mail my birthdate and full name to him, and he would work on my numerology report and we could schedule a private session.

I was back in Groveland three days later.

For the numerology report, Porter analyzed the number of letters in my full name, consonants compared to vowels and the numbers in my birthdate.

Based on my numbers, he said my ideal profession is reporter, public relations or salesman.
Then, he told me more about my sensitive side, blunt side, restlessness, relationship with family and friends, inability to say “no” and procrastination.

The procrastination part was right. The psychic visit was a month ago and I’m just writing this.
When we cut the tarot cards later, it confirmed along with my numbers that I would be doing lots of traveling this year.

Career choices would also be knocking at my door and my most productive period would be after my next birthday in September.

When I asked how I would pay for this extensive traveling, he said I needed to save money until my birthday, but to envision having money and large stacks of it.
I wanted to yell “boo!”

Sounded like some of that stuff from “The Secret” where you wish for something to be true and it appears.

Does the psychic universe know I have direct deposit?

Possibly the spookiest moment is when Porter mentioned my Grandma Jackson, who passed away last year.

He described her in detail and said she was talking to him in one ear offering advice for my future.
He wanted to know if I wanted to really contact her from the beyond — which is one of his specialities — but before I could answer, he sensed my walls go up.

I was not ready for something that intense on my virgin psychic visit.

He said she is always watching over me and would come to me soon in a recognizable smell from the past, like something baking in the kitchen.

Porter said his late mentor who coached him on many of his psychic abilities also speaks to him during readings and would often appear through popping noises in the room or on the windows.
It was not a windy day that Tuesday morning and there were random pops many times in our session that gave me the chills.

There was more personal stuff I’m not willing to broadcast to Central Illinois, but I walked away a believer.

If anything, it’s made me more aware of myself and how the world views me.

Maybe that’s the point of psychic readings — someone to call you out on who you are, what you’re doing right and wrong and how you can work on changing things yourself.