Nostradamus

NDH: "Nostradamus was interpreted..."

Heh. 'Bout the same time, I suppose, that I read Lindsay, I read a book of interpretations of Nostradamus. I was forever persuaded... that ol' Nost was a very clever fraud, and as for interpretations of his couplets, what's that old lyric, a man sees what he wants to see and disregards the rest.

But I admired his PT Barnum-like marketing skills! I used to cast Tarot cards. It was educational to "read" the cards and have folks say, "oh, that's so right," coming up with detailed personal insights derived from my generalized statements. Sometimes folks just need a little objective reflection to get perspective on their situation. If I'd said the same thing without the silly cards, they'd've blown it off.

No wonder Astrology columns persist.

If I had been dishonest, I could definitely see the enormous potential for deception, manipulation, and ripoff. (I charged a quarter a cast.)