Prophecy is as old as civilization itself. For as long as history has chronicled humanity’s adventures, there have been mythologies, omens and divinations to accompany them. It is in that tradition that we bring you the Alibi’s annual Psychic Predictions issue, where we seek local soothsayers and ask them to impart to you their forecast for the coming year. We’ve gathered two psychics, a medicine man, a tarot reader and a couple of folks from the street to give you their readings. We also tried to glean some knowledge from a Magic 8 Ball. Thanks to Sarah M. Kramer for all her work on this issue.—Christie Chisholm
Psychic Ana
Bio I was fortunate to be born with a gift of sight. I have always followed my intuition and my spiritual guides. I am able to help many people on their journey here on Earth. I am a teacher with the Albuquerque Public Schools. I am also a professional astrologer. Here are my predictions for 2009. Politics Obama will do an excellent job as commander in chief. He will accomplish many of his campaign promises. He will be safe and so will his family. Mayor Martin Chavez will continue to be successful and receive an award for his exemplary work as mayor. Iraq War The Iraq War will slow down and many of our soldiers will be able to come home by the end of the year. We will still need to be vigilant in that area for the protection of innocent people who want their freedoms. But we should not be seeing as many casualties as last year or in the past. Economy The economy will be greater than people are expecting. The poor and low-middle class will see some prosperity in their lives. Obama and his team will lead us to successful progress. People will come to realize that the stock market’s downward turn was a good thing because people need to rely more on themselves and be self-sufficient. We are lucky to be in New Mexico because we are going to see a huge growth in population and lots of opportunity for advancement and a better life. Environment We will see more hurricanes, tornadoes and natural disasters, even in regions where it is unheard of, like parts of New York and around the East Coast area. Science and Technology There will be some blunders scientists are working on that will be exposed in 2009. There will be great technological advances in workplaces that will help us see 32-hour work weeks for people, four-day work weeks. Celebrity and Entertainment Paris Hilton will find love and become engaged, but it will be short-lived again. Even if she marries, she will be divorced within six months. Angelina Jolie will become pregnant and lose the baby. George Clooney will owe the IRS millions. George Lopez will end up in the hospital. Gas Prices Gas prices will continue to go down for a few months, then they will rise again after March.
Catherine Wishart
Bio Catherine Wishart has been an award-winning author, international clairvoyant and professional psychic since 1988, specializing in relationship readings. Catherine teaches a law of attraction class the first Tuesday of each month. J.J. Raschel co-wrote part of these predictions. Overview 2009 will see a lot of changes on a personal, political and global level. What I have found in my clientele is many people have been having an extremely challenging time in the last two years. This is about to change. 2009 will usher in a lot of good energy. Projects will be easier to launch. Relationships will become more harmonious. There is an ease in the air where people won’t feel so overwhelmed. This change has already begun. In the last six weeks, many people have noticed synchronistic events happening in their lives at a rapid pace. I have noticed clients making significant strides when everything before seemed dark and overwhelming.2009 is an 11 year (add the numbers together). Eleven signifies great change. The number 11 on a spiritual level represents receiving divine guidance and also a time of heightened creativity.Overall, it’s going to be a time of change and growth, excitement and struggle … challenge and inspiration. The main theme: Expect major change! Personal Think about what you want to manifest. Put your attention on it and watch as doors open as if by magic. Listen to your intuition and follow the promptings of your inner self. You may get a nudge to walk into a certain store … follow it. Pay attention. Don’t be surprised if you run into someone or something that can help you.You won’t feel so overwhelmed; however, there is a sense of uncertainty right now. This will ease by midsummer.Pay attention to make sure you are not indulging in addictive behavior. When there is unpredictability in the air—such as with the economy, political change, etc.—people sometimes self-medicate their fear of uncertainty with self-destructive behaviors or addictive substances. Politics Well, of course ’09 will be history-making with Obama’s inauguration. Obama will bring a unifying element to the world political table. Other countries’ perspective of the U.S. will begin to change to one less critical. There will be a restored sense of patriotism within the country; however, there will also be a divisive element, as change always pushes issues directly into people’s faces. There will be growing pains that will be both healing and challenging.There will be assassination attempts on Obama. I see them beginning as early as the day he is inaugurated. He is going to raise a lot of heated discussions both in people’s homes around the dinner table, as well as in the media. This will be good for us as a country. It will be a chance to broaden our perspective. But if you thought the election brought out a lot of outspoken opinions and were sick of people arguing, get ready for more. Iraq War We will begin to pull out of Iraq, but in a way that is gentle and wise. The energy will shift from one where the U.S. is perceived as a bully to the U.S. being perceived as unifying and supportive. The U.S. has always had a strong world presence; this demands a certain amount of responsibility. I see a political climate that mirrors the aftereffects of WWII. The U.S. was very generous to many countries around the world. It rebuilt roads in New Zealand for free and did many other wonderful things. The U.S. will continue this trend of generosity. Economy The economy will pick up by midsummer. Everyone has been in a state of panic. In many ways, The Dark Knight was a metaphor for the changes that are occurring. The movie brought up four points that will be paralleled this year. 1) People panic most when events are unpredictable.2) The night is always the darkest just before the dawn.3) We all carry qualities of good and bad within us. 4) In our darkest hour, mankind’s goodness can prevail.I see that midsummer will be a turning point in many ways. The government and individual businesses will create different strategies to turn the economy around. It’s going to be tough at first but worth it in the long run.Despite all the struggle and perhaps rise in crimes that will occur, the outcome will be major growth in the economy that will have a profound effect on world economics. Environment We will begin to see climates that do not match the seasons. This happens randomly from time to time. But as the universe begins to unfold itself in a new way, the climates will become less predictable. Science and Technology I still think someone should invent an interactive game like Guitar Hero to teach real guitar. Celebrity and Entertainment There is going to be a drastic change in the world of all artistry. It is the end of an old cycle and the beginning of a new one, so a lot of old traits and fads will seem to die off and new ones begin to grow more than ever. Such as the music business: There will be many new artists with new techniques and tactics in managing their work. New distribution avenues, new labels, new direction in music management. This is an exciting time to be in the music industry. A lot of good summer movie releases. And television’s new series will spark a lot of interest. New Mexico’s film industry will continue to grow and flourish. I really don’t think the Screen Actors Guild will strike. And if they do, it won’t be for very long. No one wants to strike. Gas Prices I see them stabilizing. We won’t have the drastic high we had in ’08. However, the damage done to the three major U.S. car manufacturers is not easy for them to recover from. The airlines and car industry sustained considerable financial damage. It will take most of the year for this to happen.
Michael Smith
Bio I am an intuitive empath and have 15 years of experience in mind-body energy medicine, counseling and shamanic traditions. I am a National Certified Counselor and offer Inner Power phone coaching and Private Intuitive Readings for empaths, highly sensitive people and the LGBT community. I also offer a free monthly newsletter at EmpathConnection.com. Overview Another tumultuous year. The Statue of Liberty will become important as a symbol once again for the United States. South Dakota and New York are important this year, but I’m not sure for what. Everything looks to March being a pivotal month, as many energies, including violence, will be at their peak. Politics Extra precaution should be taken for Barack Obama’s security. Something is unfinished with George W. Bush—it’s hard to tell what. Joe Biden may get sick. Iraq War I don’t see anything here, it’s not particularly clear. Economy Violence between workers and management (e.g. Ludlow). The depressed U.S. dollar sinks lower. Gold prices may double in March. Other than that, we will continue to suffer economically. Environment One or two earthquakes on the West Coast; in particular the San Andreas fault and the Pacific Northwest (e.g. Portland/Washington). Japan may also be impacted. Big year for tornados. There is a minor possibility of a tsunami for the United States. Lots of flooding in April and May. World Events Nuclear attack is a real threat. India will take center stage. I see black smoke falling from the sky (near a city by the water?). Terror attacks may go the route of chemical. Some may be forced into their homes—worrying about ventilation leaks. Gas Prices Due to environmental impacts, the price of oil will skyrocket by 2010. Supply and demand is an illusion.
Michael A. Lente
Bio I don’t think work as a "medicine man" can ever be fully appreciated, as it’s more of a vocational calling, a way of life, than just a "job." Mine began early, while I was hanging around my grandfather during summer vacations, and encompasses issues of taking care of the whole person and addressing the needs of that person, whether it be spiritual, physical, mental or metaphysical. This includes ritual, song, symbol and even the consultation of various methods to include Norse runes and petroglyphs as well as tarot, scrying in various ways, and guided meditation. It all depends on what the person who consults me needs and not necessarily wants. Politics Not really an easy year. (Also see World Events.) There will be little movement on major issues of concern, and agreements as well as breakdowns of many coalitions that seemed to be solid. Basically, a lot of infighting and not much else. The general public will probably suffer long for the shortsightedness and stubbornness of this crop of politicians, both at the federal and the state level. It seems the best interests of the people will not be served in the upcoming year. Iraq War More of the same with an escalation previously unconsidered, along with a fracturing along all sides. Even previous support among allies will suffer. I would caution against a hasty pullout, though, as disastrous results will occur. A major incident will occur where least expected in another part of the world as a direct link to this war. Economy Now here’s a real gamble, with serious doubt about whether it will recover before the end of the year. In fact, luck has about as much chance as does governmental intervention. I’d look for subtle signs of nationalization of various industries by midyear in one form or another. For most folks, it seems as if there will be the toss of the dice, and whatever happens will happen. All the normal person can do is to hold on as best as possible and work with what’s available. Environment Look for disruption in the upcoming year in weather and the usual Earth patterns. It would seem that nature in general is all mixed up from its usual patterns, which will reflect how we as a people address the urgent issues at hand. This is one of those times when the Earth will correct itself in reference to all the interference placed upon it over the past few centuries. The unexpected occurs where we least imagined. Science and Technology Learning-Burning-Fire. These are key to what is on the horizon over the next year. Science will continue (sometimes unadvisedly) to probe the mysteries of the universe and may find a breakthrough or two that we aren’t yet ready to handle. Some of these breakthroughs and knowledge will be kept from the public, but nonetheless will be filed away in a vault for safekeeping. Knowledge will advance a great deal, but we must be careful not to get burned in the process. Some issues are best left alone for another age to handle. Celebrity and Entertainment This time we live in seems to be empty when it comes to original thinking and imagination. Expect more nonsense under the guise of "reality" shows, which really are nothing more than our inclination to indulge in prurient interests. There is no entertainment—only meanness. It may take a little longer than I first expected for this faddishness to go away, but it will burn itself out as soon as we return to a society with consideration for others. No real new celebrities will show up on the scene this year, but the shenanigans may slow down for awhile. World Events Explosive and mostly related to partisan politics and belief systems. Perhaps the specter of communism/socialism will return in an unexpected way. While the "good old days" of the Cold War are somewhat in the past, we may see some type of similar resurrection. Terrorism isn’t the only movement to be wary of. Certainly look for more issues regarding oil and commodities that may be held politically hostage and affect various styles of living. Allies once on friendly terms will have a falling out. Gas Prices This is a time for a major transition in thought when it comes to energy issues. It’s necessary to get used to a new way of living. Look for a bottoming out of prices as they once more begin to climb. If we continue with reasonable alternative energy and conservation efforts this time and don’t get lulled into a false sense of security, gas prices may not return to the highs of last summer even though it will seem so. Nonetheless, budget for higher prices and don’t get too comfortable with where we are today.
Cheryl Christopherson
Iraq War Well, I’m a Christian, so I think there’s never going to be peace in the Middle East. May sound dreary, but that’s just—the people are that way, fighters. But I do predict that we’ll have less and less to do with that [the war] over there. Economy The economy is cyclical, so of course right now it’s bad because of the season. But I do think that we’re in for a rough ride because we’ve been riding like it’s Christmas for many years, so I think we’re definitely going to go into a slump. Recession, a bad recession. Environment Hopefully with the new administration, we’ll concentrate more on that [the environment] and be more aware of how we affect our environment. And how we’re deeply responsible for what goes on around us. Science and Technology I think we’ll probably hope to see more holographics, perhaps, very Trekkie. Celebrity and Entertainment Oh my goodness, I wish Tom Cruise would break up with his wife. That’s terrible. I don’t really watch too much TV and pay attention to genres, so I probably can’t speak too much to that. Gas Prices I predict they’ll go down some more because the Bushes are out of the White House.
Joe And Mary Mckinney
Iraq War Joe: I think we need to be out right now. I’m not pleased with it, wasn’t pleased with the beginning, not pleased with the middle and I think the end is—oh, boy—should be immediate, period. Economy Joe: Oh gosh. I’m hoping Obama can pull off an FDR. With the National New Deal Preservation Association, that’s like the WPA and all those wonderful programs we used to have to stop the Depression, and I think we’re there again. And reading this morning’s paper about over a two-year period the, what was it, $800 billion going into public works and things, I hope it’s more than just for infrastructure and bridges and things; I hope that they also do the artists, the writers programs that were done. Mary: The economy is based a lot on the faith of the people, and there’s a lot of faith in Obama right now, and I hope he lives up to that. Science and Technology/Gas Prices Joe: I hope we still have Fords and Chevrolets and Chryslers, and I know a lot of people who own those who probably hope there are Fords and Chevrolets and Chryslers, too. I think oil will go back up. I love spending what I’m spending now on gas, but it’s not going to remain that way, it’ll go back up. OPEC has already pretty much determined that. On cars, I think we’ll see a trend toward efficient and smaller cars. I think there’s still a need for some large ones; I mean, if I lived east of the mountains, in part of Moriarty, I’d certainly want a Humvee, but not in town. Celebrity and Entertainment Joe: I want to divorce my wife and marry Madonna and then get a divorce. That settlement was fantastic. Actually, we see “Entertainment Tonight” and we don’t know who they’re talking about. There are so many new ones. I don’t know these people, I don’t really care about them. I mean, where’s Dustin Hoffman when I need him?
Magic 8 Ball
Will the war in Iraq be resolved? Don’t count on it. Are there any great natural disasters New Mexico should anticipate? It is certain. Will we make greater strides toward an actual cure for cancer? Yes definitely. Will Bush’s post-presidency return to Texas be low-key? Very doubtful. Is 2009 the year we finally get flying cars? My sources say no. Will Paris Hilton get a gig that resembles some sort of real employment? As I see it, yes. Will the RIAA actually enforce its new policy of Internet cutoffs for people who illegally upload music? Very doubtful. Is there going to be an Arrested Development movie? Don’t count on it. Will people start going Downtown and attending live music events again, or will everyone continue to stay home and play video games? Initial: Reply hazy. Try again. Second asking: Don’t count on it. Will I finally get a car this year? Will it be from the ’60s? Better not tell you now.
