MYSTICAL WAY FOR MARRAIGE

Matching horoscopes is passé. Couples about to get hitched are going in for a range of exotic compatibility tests from angel therapy to foot reading.


Medieval reception thrones are being traded for linenclad head tables, chhaas is getting nudged out by champagne and shehnai is being remixed with Shakira. With the big fat Indian wedding becoming a confluence of different cultures, little wonder that premarital screening too has got just as eclectic. The pandit matching horoscopes now has competition, and how — from I Ching, Scandinavian runes, crystal ball gazing, aura reading, and foot reading. Of course, most who sign up for these sessions before they tie the knot say they did it out of curiosity. But that's another story.

CHINESE WHISPERS

The ancient Chinese fortune-telling practice of I Ching describes the order of events in a person's life. Meena Shah, an I Ching card reader for over a decade, says the practice has been formulated on the elements of Heaven, Wind, Water, Mountain, Earth, Thunder, Fire and River. If a prospective bride's card represents water and the groom's card fire, it might be bad news since water douses fire. "Most want to know if their marriage will last," she says. "Many are also curious if they will be sexually compatible." Shah gets 10 to 30 cases of pre-marital compatibility a month.

ANGEL DIARIES

Angel therapy is based on the belief that each individual is born with a guardian angel. "Often we get messages through dreams or intuitions. Angels have different ways of communicating, and need us to reach out," says Tamanna C, an angel therapist. She facilitates interaction between a person and his or her angel to know the right step ahead, especially when they're poised to take a decision like marriage. Agrees a client who took a session before her wedding, "All you have is a bio-data, photograph and couple of meetings to take a call that is for life. You need some kind of assurance."

SOLE TO SOUL

When in two minds about a prospect, fold your legs, take a deep breath and stare at your foot. Darshan Joshi, a foot reader, assures that all the answers lie in your sole. Joshi, who learnt the art of foot reading from his forefathers, says that a majority of his clients come to seek answers about compatibility. "A person's future is determined by the lines on his or her sole," he says. "Some common signs are the trishul (which symbolises a spiritual bent), and the shankh (which betrays a wavering mind).''

SIGNATURE SECRETS

Much before student Rashi Mehta was to sign on her marriage certificate,she asked her fiancé to sign on a piece of paper. "I got his handwriting analysed and discovered things I'd probably have taken years to figure," she says. Graphologist Hetal Devang, explains that handwriting reflects a person's subconscious mind. "It is used in pre-marital tests to understand a person's innate characteristics. If you encircle the first letter in your signature, it could mean that you're comfortable in your surroundings and not open to change and if you underline it more than once, it betrays low self-esteem."

VIEW FROM SCANDINAVIA

Futhark,a set of 24 Scandinavian runes or crystal stones with inscriptions, is providing answers to doubts about marital bliss. The runes are cast on a mat to discern future events or path that a problem will take.Hetal Devang,who uses this technique,says the runes can outline a person's characteristics or be indicative of a mentality. In rune reading, a person's energies are tapped to provide answers to questions. "We use it simply as a guiding force," she says."It is up to the person to decide whether s/he wants to pursue the reading."