Whether you believe in fortune tellers or not, the experience of having your fortune told is entertaining at the very least. In fact, sometimes, it can even be life-changing.
Granted, you can visit a fortune teller anywhere around the world, there are certain destinations that are the best if you are looking for a unique fortune telling experience.
Every culture has a slightly different tradition when it comes to revealing the future. From tarot cards to birds to tea leaves, there are endless ways of looking into a person’s destiny.
Keep on reading to find out the best places to get a unique fortune telling experience.
1. Istanbul, Turkey
While some countries read their tea leaves, in Turkey, they read your coffee grounds. After drinking a traditional Turkish brew, experts will analyse the shapes left in your cup to uncover any secret symbols that reveal messages about your future.
So, if you are looking for your caffeine fix while also wanting to find out about your future, best go to Turkey—you get to the bottom of your future, sip by hopeful sip.
2. New Dehli, India
Indian mystics study and practice Vedic Astrology. In this fortune telling method, practitioners use the stars and planets to determine your past, present, and future. For thousands of years, Indians have referred to this ‘science of light’ and in-depth star charts to unlock the secrets of their life, and personality traits and to even help find their ideal future partner.
3. Hong Kong, China
Kau Cim is a form of fortune telling that includes a bamboo bucket that is filled with flat bamboo sticks that have numbers inscribed in them. The bucket is shaken until one bamboo stick falls out. This is then interpreted using ancient poetry books and traditional meanings.
Interestingly, this method of fortune telling is similar to Japan’s Omikuji.
That said, one of the best places to experience Kau Cim is in Hong Kong’s Wong Tai Sin Temple.
4. Athens, Greece
Palmistry is a popular form of fortune telling around the world. That said, it is rather special in Greece since they still hold onto many practices that originated in ancient times. According to the Greeks, each individual line on your hand is related to a specific Greek god and the way the lines are formed can reveal both your past and future.
5. Singapore, Singapore
While there are various forms of fortune telling available in Singapore, there is a special one that lurks on its streets—Parrot astrology. In this type of fortune telling, rather than picking out your fortune themselves, a fortune teller will have the bird pick out a card from the deck using its beak. Then the fortune teller will interpret the symbols on the card to read you your fortune. This is similar to the Mexican tradition of having canaries pick out predictions about people’s futures.
This type of fortune telling was brought in by Southern Indian immigrants to Singapore. Unfortunately, parrot astrologers have been decreasing rapidly. As such, people believe it as a blessing when they encounter a parrot astrologer. That said, to get very good fortunes, you should offer the bird at least $5.
6. Bucharest, Romania
The tradition of fortune-telling is heavily rooted in Romanian culture, which makes Bucharest an ideal location for a great fortune telling experience, especially tarot card reading. Tarot reading goes back centuries in Romania and has been so ingrained in their nation’s culture. Let a lucky – or unlucky – spread of cards adorned in symbolic images allude to the ins and outs of what’s to come, accompanied by compelling commentary from a local gypsy.
7. Shanghai, China
Granted, a lot of known fortune telling methods in Asia have originated in China, an iconic method of fortune telling there is face reading. In China, people believe that one’s face is an open book, showing one’s life history and future. This ancient practice has been in existence since the reign of the Yellow Emperor from 2697 to 2598 BC.
A popular place that offers this method is outside the Jing-an Temple in Shanghai.
8. Seoul, South Korea
Clairvoyants hold an everyday relevance in South Korea. In fact, there are some 300,000 fortune tellers in the country, in addition to 150,000 mudang (or shamans), who provide clairvoyance by communicating with spirits in addition to performing traditional ceremonies such as exorcisms. This practice dates back to the ancient tribal traditions and is sometimes referred to as shamanism.
Final Thoughts
Going to a fortune teller can be a truly enjoyable experience, regardless of whether you believe them or not.
That said, while these methods of fortune telling are usually available across the world, there is nothing better than to enjoy these age-old practices in the places where they first came from.
