talkmagic.co.uk

Now, Paul and I have had a decent conversation John but you are splitting hairs and you know I'm not going to go there.

Sorry what do you mean by splitting hairs? In the UK this means being pedantic I don't think I've done this at all.

Craig Browning wrote:Now, in a conversation with Banachek of all people, I was told that a person that does Readings and claims they are only using Intuition in conjunction with an oracle system like Tarot, who is not claiming some kind of "supernatural" connection, is not in the wrong... they aren't be charlatans or misrepresenting who and what they are or what they are doing. Yet, the Johndoe's of the world want to say that it isn't the case.

It is strange that Banchek would feel this way yet the quote from Teller I earlier copied is part of a hugely scathing rant about readers which is printed at the start of Banachek's book Psychological subtleties. I doubt very much that Steve would use this as an introduction if he didn't wholeheartedly agree with it.

As to John's charge of my "misdirecting" the issue or trying to change the point of focus... Well, you are wrong with your allegations and taking what I say out of context. What I have stated is why is it so wrong for Readers to use those techniques and they are totally ignored when so-called legitimate business elements use them? Why is it that Readers are attacked by folks like you for assumed wrong vs. the plethora of magicians out there who deliberately use their skills for hustling a quick buck on street corners or in the pubs? What I have asked, and you've attempted to block, is why isn't the same standards of judgement and condemnation applied across the board rather than singling out the "soft" target?

I'm not singling anyone out. The topic of discussion is "Psychic conmen". I'm just sticking to the subject.

In answer to the part about magicians hustling a quick a buck (something which I think I'm particularly good at) the problem is that whilst I pull a fair number of free drinks and small change I do not tell them that their dead mum doesn't want them to worry about the row she had with their sister. Making sure you're not entertaining people for free and messing about with people's heads are two completely different things.

When a big mouthed bulley like Penn Gellett or Jamie Swiss gets on stage and states up front "There is no such thing as psychics and if you believe in them, god, or all that other bull s***, you're an idiot..." more harm than good is made fact. Yet, these same jerks will use Cold Reading, not for the sake of entertainment but as a ploy for getting into some chick's pants... adding even greater insult to the injury done.

Are you suggesting that Penn Gillete and Jamies Swiss use cold reading to pull!!

What harm is done by them saying believing in psychic phenomena is stupid?

The majority of poeple that come to a Medium, like John Edward don't feel victimized and the closuer such encounters allow, lends to them the ability to let go and move on. Sorry, but traditional counselling techniques don't work for everyone on this level. Some times you must use the right "placebo" in order to exact healing and though you may not want to believe in it yourself, you cannot negate the fact that it has and does do good in the greater majority of cases.

This is just complete rubbish. John Edward is a complete scam artist. Just one of his shows will have more editing than Criss Angel's and David Blaine's entire series added together. The people that seek his help do not need "placebos" (interesting you should use that word but I won't dwell on it as I don't want to be accused of splitting hairs) They need real help. The last thing they need is to be fleeced £50 a ticket in some vain hope that John might just choose them and they get one last chance to speak to their dead relatives. I saw him have one woman in tears because the message from 'Micheal' (which happened to be the name of her dead son) was in not for her and he been receiving 'confused signal'. The woman was devastated, in her mind she had just been offered one last the chance to speak with her dead son only to have it brutally snatched away.
John Edwards is the lowest of the low. Not only that but he is actually quite a rubbish reader.
http://www.re-quest.net/entertainment/m ... hn-edward/

it is you making the claim that we bring harm to others but the same can be said about teh multi-billion dollar Gambling industry, the whole of religious teaching (regardless the theology behind it) and more.

What the hell has the gambling industry got to do with it? of course it's harmful as is the tobacco industry the arms industry and countless other industries but we aren't discussing them we are discussing, as per the title of this thread, psychic conmen.

The assumption that all Readers are out to take advantage and not help people is right up there with the urban myth that all children's entertainers are gay or sexual deviants of some kind and all white faced clowns are child molesters.

Firstly this is hardly a healthy comparison. As much as I can't stand clowns I have no reason to believe they are child molesters. I would love to see every last one of the scary b******s locked up though

I do not assume that readers are out to do harm in fact I strongly believe the majority of them think they are doing the right thing but that doesn't mean they are.
My brother was very sick as a child and a palm reader revealed to my mum that she knew he was sick but he would get better. Now babies are often sick (having 2 kids myself I can say they are nearly always sick ) but my mum took this to mean she knew all about my brother's illness and as a result stopped worrying about him so much. My brother did indeed get better and the advice from this 'gypsy' helped my mum greatly through this time. However what if he had died? What if my mum had taken the advice to mean that he was going to be fine and didn't need the dangerous treatment he was having which eventually saved his life? The possibilities are as endless as the examples outthere of bad readers giving careless advice which I'm sure they felt was 'helping'.

On a side note she also told my mum that she would have another baby (she was clearly pregnant at the time) that it would be a girl (great guess) that I spent a lot of time in uniform (I was clearly at school age) and that I would be a policeman (there is still time but unless they change the rules on criminal records then being in the police this is never going to happen.) I remember being hugely impressed with all this and looking forward to being a cop until I realised it's a thankless and dangerous job.
She also said that my Gran was going die soon but that was 20 years ago and my gran is now 82 and still marching on.

Craig Browning wrote:As you know John, I've shared about experiences I've had in which I've apparently "channeled" information to people from "the other side". I don't claim to be a Medium and I fully admit that I cannot explain how I was able to convey the insights with the level of pin point accuracy that I was able to do.

So in summary the only difference between you and Edwards is you think you're really are in contact with the spirit world?

Craig - it seems your position is 'It's ok to do this stuff if you're genuinely in contact with the spirit world but if you're not then you're a shyster'

And herein lies the fundamental problem - because we can't yet prove anybody is genuinely in contact with the 'other side' then it's logical that we shouldn't be doing this at all.

Craig - imagine during a reading you got something wrong but you didn't know it - maybe the person you're reading doesn't know this immediatly but goes home and undertakes a course of action based on what something you've said to her, regardless of whether what you said was positive or negative.

It just strikes me that anybody doing this stuff is meddling and playing at things they don't really understand and potential consequences could be incredibly damaging to the person as has been seen in the past.

My wife goes to see a psychic on a regular basis - well more of a 'spritual healer' but I guess falls into the same category. I had a problem with this at first in that having a background in psychology I felt it was unhealthy in that it might make her feel good, but she then didn't have to work through her own issues. The other thing was that I believed it was all a load of rubbish.
I have been very impressed with how accurately this person has assesed my wife and how she has really grown as a person. I've had to make a few adjustments in my thinking and come to the realisation that what this person is doing has validity - and she's genuinely helping people on a deep level. I've also realised that what she's doing is not too different from what I did when I was actively involved in councelling people - especially with regard to intuition. I just saw intuition as part of the job, she makes more of a thing of it - but the results are similar.
Just thought I'd add that to the mix..

In defense of Craig - not that he needs defending - I think he's made himself very clear in this thread and feel like the past few posts of some others have just been going around in circles. This has been a stunning discussion - let's not let it spiral downwards. Please read it from the beginning before diving in..

Funny, how that very scenario happens with patients of certain so-called "legit" counselors, ministers, doctors, etc. Anyone can take a wrong course of action... it's called FREE WILL, it's not the "Psychic's" fault!

DIVINATION which is what a Reader does, IS NOT the same as Prophecy. Again, a known fact that all the cynics love to ignore or side-step. The purpose of a Reading is merely to get an idea as to what's going on, not to dictate and control your life.

Throughout history seeking out the advice of an oracle was done as a means by which to gain some insight and aid in the decision making process.

Your charge of

Craig - it seems your position is 'It's ok to do this stuff if you're genuinely in contact with the spirit world but if you're not then you're a shyster'

is way off base and taken out of context. But even if that weren't so, the position you are suggesting is of the kind that would result in the slander of Christ himself should he decide to actually show back up in today's world.

I'm not going to become everyone's paddle-boy here. In the more private forums where the "real" Mentalists hang out (so as to avoid this kind of abuse) there is a thread discussing how "to be cool and part of the new "in" crowd" everyone thinks they must be a cynic, sell out their former spiritual points of view in exchange for a quasi-scientific set of arguments and openly berrate anyone on the other side of the issue.

"What harm does it do?"

Far more than most of you are willing to accept or realize. Randi's acts of terrorism in the 70s resulted in his being shunned for a good number of years because he went overboard and cross certain lines in the sand that the establishment saw what would be long term harm from. He's mellowed in his latter days but many of his supporters have the same assholiness attitude if not worse; revealing total disrespect for their audiences let alone the emotions, feelings and testimony of others. In short, people don't want to assume responsibility for their actions, so long as they can openly insult others for their beliefs, just because you don't agree with them.

How is this kind of action educational, moral, ethical or wise?

Spoon feeding the public when it comes to the issue of con-men working the Psychic field is what I do. I don't read a ton of books or patronize the gospel of James (as in Randi), I do the work and it really gets under my skin when inexperienced individuals who do not know what really does happen in the shut-eye market, want to break me down and wrongly classify me and most, as being the transgressors.

A real "Skeptic" and "Debunker" could care less what is real or not, they focus on who does the most harm, how and why. They go after the actual criminals rather than the soft targets some of you all keep wanting to focus on. There's no swaying you... each of you have blinders on and want to focus on "the Reader" as a whole vs. the actual criminal activity and how it really happens in the real world.

Houdini and Kellar both allowed room and respect for people's beliefs. Banachek, in that we've brought him up, does the same. They each advise in looking at each instance individually vs. having the audacity of blanketing everyone into one niche group. For that matter Houdini even endorsed a handful of people that did "the work" as being on the up and up.

Steve (Banachek) and I have a very decent relationship and he's actually taken the time to talk with me in a manner that is honorable as well as respectful when it comes to my particular specialty in this craft. This is one of the reasons I get so frustrated when people like yourself and Johndoe start your armchair expert tactics in trying to push me into a corner on the issue. The present scenario being far from where this thread started, declining into the "prove it to me" routine so many cynics can't seem to get out of.

There's presently over a half-dozen threads of this ilk over at the Cafe regurgitting the same old rhetoric, the same line of questioning and accusation and absolutely NOTHING new comes about. It's just a bunch of opinionated individuals who've never been in the field, patting one another on the back and sustaining the same delusions. Justify it all you wish, but you cannot KNOW something unless you've been there. This is proven daily in the Mental Health profession... a clinically trained clinician might be able to give advice but they can't relate to and honestly help a recovering drunk or drug addict the way other recovering drunks & junies can. That's why 95% of these "professionals" turn their clients over to 12-step groups... a bunch of untrained fools guiding one another blindly at times, through the same pile of c*** (not the best).

Now, I'm not going to play this game. John knows this and why he's gotten it started, I can only guess it was his own boredom and sense of mischieviousness. But homie don't go there... it's fruitless and creates too much ill-will.

If you want to talk about actual cons and how they work, I have no problem. If you insist on trying to nail me and the other HONEST people in this industry under the same tack... it's not going to go anywhere. You have no clue what I do or how I operate. Those that do, who are key players in the Skeptic's community, don't seem to have a problem in what I do... I'll take their experienced perspective and endorsement any day vs. the blinded critique of those wanting to simply be cool and fit into today's current trends.

I think we need to set a few guidelines down if this thread is going to continue in the vein that it was started.

The first should be that, no matter how much you disagree with another participant's viewpoint, no comments regarding your perception of their conduct shall be made.

As far as I can tell, everyone who has contributed has made their viewpoint clear, and though misunderstandings have occurred, the facts about each position are contained in the thread in plain view. I suggest that we try to direct this into a more meaningful direction.

I will start with a general question that interests me; What, in your experience, are the most commonly used scams/techniques of the 'psychic' predator?

Don't take it so personally I am not accusing you of anything. I am accusing a whole myriad of psychics and pseudo scientists out there that use their skills to make money.
actually I don;t have a problem with them making money, as far as money is concerned there is very little that is out of bounds to me However claiming to contact people's dead relatives or offering people advice based on your own 'feelings' or supernatural skills is completely wrong.

The present scenario being far from where this thread started, declining into the "prove it to me" routine so many cynics can't seem to get out of.

The 'prove it' thing was mentioned briefly at least ten posts ago noone is asking you prove anything this is old ground. It can't be proved. Whether or not the fact it can't be proved proves it doesn't exist is a silly argument that will just go round but we aren't discussing that. We are discussing whether or not it's right to give advice/contact dead people/dowse/ use crystal etc etc

The purpose of a Reading is merely to get an idea as to what's going on, not to dictate and control your life.

No but it is used to give advice which people then may choose make decisions based on this.

Throughout history seeking out the advice of an oracle was done as a means by which to gain some insight and aid in the decision making process.

We tortured a lot of people too. Just because something happened a lot in the past doesn't mean it should continue.

In the more private forums where the "real" Mentalists hang out (so as to avoid this kind of abuse) there is a thread discussing how "to be cool and part of the new "in" crowd" everyone thinks they must be a cynic,

I'd love to listen in on a few of those conversations. I don't want to post and I wouldn't attempt to argue with people on there but it would be nice to see the view from the other side. Maybe you could PM the address of this site?

In short, people don't want to assume responsibility for their actions, so long as they can openly insult others for their beliefs, just because you don't agree with them

.

There is no need to take the fact that people don't believe the same as you as an insult.

Now, I'm not going to play this game. John knows this and why he's gotten it started, I can only guess it was his own boredom and sense of mischieviousness.

Boredom and mischievousness both come into it but the overwhelming motivation is quite simply that despite your wealth of magical knowledge, I believe you are wrong.

If you want to talk about actual cons and how they work, I have no problem. If you insist on trying to nail me and the other HONEST people in this industry under the same tack... it's not going to go anywhere.

No offence but you posted first and when you did you weren't talking about "actual cons and how they worked". I am not accusing anyone of being DISHONEST, in fact I know that you believe in what you preach but that doesn't mean you are right.

nickj wrote: I suggest that we try to direct this into a more meaningful direction.

I will start with a general question that interests me; What, in your experience, are the most commonly used scams/techniques of the 'psychic' predator?

Sorry I missed this post.

Johndoe wrote:

nickj wrote: I suggest that we try to direct this into a more meaningful direction.

I will start with a general question that interests me; What, in your experience, are the most commonly used scams/techniques of the 'psychic' predator?

Sorry I missed this post.

It was common sense, John... and simply courteous.

seige wrote:

Johndoe wrote:

nickj wrote: I suggest that we try to direct this into a more meaningful direction.

I will start with a general question that interests me; What, in your experience, are the most commonly used scams/techniques of the 'psychic' predator?

Sorry I missed this post.

It was common sense, John... and simply courteous.

Sorry I don't understand your comment. I opened my window and started typing before Nickj made his comment. that's what i meant by "missed it". I hope you don't feel I was being bad mannered it was a genuine error.

Craig Browning wrote:Funny, how that very scenario happens with patients of certain so-called "legit" counselors, ministers, doctors, etc. Anyone can take a wrong course of action... it's called FREE WILL, it's not the "Psychic's" fault!

Hmm - I don't know if that was in response to my post. I fact I was saying quite the opposite - I was impressed with the psychic. So much so that my views have been challenged and after a year or so of wrestling with the issue I've come to the conclusion that it's a good thing.

I have seen many people screwed up by 'legit' councellors and ministers. I used to be one of them and I think I probably did my fair share of messing people up too - but with the best intentions.

What, in your experience, are the most commonly used scams/techniques of the 'psychic' predator?

This is a great and very logical question (though I think I've already touched on it).

The real criminals in this business (what we call "Predators") tend to focus on certain key demographic factors;

Racial/Cultural Influences
Religious Influences & Related Superstitions
Age
Education Level
Income

I'll try to be brief in breaking these areas down but, fasten your seat-belts

Racial & Cultural Influences (including Religious elements) are at the top of the list when looking for "marks". Not to type-cast any particular sect but there is a truth to the fact that persons of color (blacks & hispanics in particular) exist in a highly superstitious atmosphere that is enhanced (sustained) by their religious up-bringing. Even when I did standard close-up magic, I was actually asked to not do certain routines in a noted black night club I worked in Beverly Hills, because it made people "spooked" as the result of their spiritual/religious & cultural perspectives on such things.

Both the black & hispanic cultures, especially here in the States, have strong ties to the Santeria (Voodoo) traditions. A similar kind of influence can be seen in certain aspects of the caucasian community when it comes to "Mountain Magic" (as some call it). Either way, the key to these superstitions is the religious up-bringing and indoctrination of these individuals. Hispanics tend to have a very strong Catholic influence that's a hint abstract, not exactly the same as you would find with the Irish or Roman Catholic types but rather, a bit more mystically oriented (especially when it comes to miracles, curses, etc.)

The Black as well as caucasion cultures tend to have a more "southern Christian" point of view, which is rather fanatical to say the least; everything from the observation of the "Gifts of the Holy Spirit" (Discernment, Prophecy, Tongues, etc.) to snake charming and drinking poison to prove one's faith. This is especially true in the more rural areas where education tends to be nominal at best. These folks are raised in a world rife with suspicion in which evil and the devil are seen in most everything. They are quite literally beset with the "fear of god" and rarely chose to question anything a minister has told them.

For the Predator people that fit this first area of "niche"are prime for the picking. It is amazingly easy to program them into believing they are in fact cursed, which is always good for at least a few hundred dollars on a spell for removing the curse. But these exploitation artists go a bit further than that... they shoot for thousands of dollars, and like every good televangelists, they target the lonely, desperate and gullible.

AGE is where things get a bit more refined. There are three primary age groups that the Predator will focus on; Young Adults (16-25); the Middle-Aged (35-50); and of course, Seniors (65+)

Why these particular groups?

Young Adults are new to the "real" world and rather nieve. If they come from any of the previous groups they have added points to their suceptibility rating as being prime marks. Interestingly, most of the "hustler" type operators tend to have their place of business very close to the primary facilities that will bring in this age group i.e. near college campus areas and miliatry installations.

It should also be noted that this age group is the #1 targeted group for would be "cult" situations as well as agressive conditioning campaigns used by the more "evangelic" aspects of today's "Christian" movement. Not matter what kind of wool you place around this particular wolf, it's still out to get you, whether it's a "legitimate" religious institution, trade union, political party or a con-artist e.g. "Buyer Beware!"

The Middle-Aged are a wonderful target when it comes to the charlatan, in that most have some sense of financial security and too, most are going through a whirlwind of drama; ill or dead parents, children issues, broken relationships, personal health issues (the realities of getting old ), job dissatisfaction or transitions, self-doubt & regrets... the list is nearly infinite.

Whenever a person is at a weak or low point in life, the iron is hot for the opportunist to strike. What many call the "Mid-Life Crisis" stage is one of the most fertile grounds one could ask for if he/she were stalking potential marks.

As before, if this kind of peson fits our first category it adds to their appeal when it comes to taking advantage of them in that their mind-set is perfect for weaving the web that's required for stealing the dough.

Senior Citizens are one of the biggest marks out there and everyone with most every kind of scam, targets them.

Firstly, most of them have some sense of security when it comes to money or holdings. Secondly, a good number of them are exceptionally lonely and simply want someone to talk to e.g. a clever charlatan can give them that false comfort. Finally, there's the realization of one's own mortality and wanting to make things "right". This can include making peace with friends & relatives who've crossed over (died) via Seance type sessions.

People in this age group are very suceptible to the superstion element, especially in our current time.

The Seniors of today are people that lived through several horrid wars and times of unparalleled horror. They also come from an era when you didn't need a lawyer to do business with people; most could be taken at their word and with a handshake e.g. trust was the way of the day. That simply isn't what our world is like now but they have been conditioned to see things othewise... the way it was vs. the way it is.

It's disheartening, knowing that people who are honest and trusting in today's world are seen as suckers and fish to fry instead of honorable souls worthy of respect and some sense of dignity.

EDUCATION is a big issue but a strange one as well. Just because you have a pile of degrees does not mean you're "smart" (street wise), only that you passed a bunch of tests. I know far too many mega genius types who haven't a clue when it comes to how the real world operates or why. At the same time, I know people with less than a high school education that can give the best of engineers a run for their money. So when it comes to "education" the issue isn't what your pedigree states but who you are and how you view life on the whole. More to the point, the charlatan wants people that are a bit "ignorant" (not educated on particular issues) so they can gain their trust and the ability to manipulate.

Believe me, some of the easiest people to manipulate in this manner are people with some serious University credentials. But, as with the preceding, this is just one element that enhances all those other factors; a boon that's looked for, but not one of the major keys, so to speak.

The real "test" a hustler will place on a perspective mark, is to see just how much street smarts they have... how wise they are to certain psychological elements, mythos, philosophies, etc. For those that love to talk about Psychic's that "pump" a patron for details.. this is the gravy train and where that technique is really used. It is not set within the Reading but the set-up.

INCOME is oddly enough, the last thing that's considered. A true charlatan don't go after the excessively wealthy in most instances. They know that people of a high income bracket can afford the lawyers, investigators, etc. that could expose them. They also know that people of "high" social position will have friends & family members who may just get a bit nosey and have someone poke around for the sake of protecting said individual. This takes us back to that original group we looked at... Racial & Cultural influences.

The typical mark actually makes less than $50,000.00 a year with a huge majority at or under the official poverty line. The reason should be apparent... they haven't the resources to poke and investigate let alone take legal action against the hustler. Secondly (and I know this is going to sound awefully crass) poor people tend to be far more spiritually/religiously inclined e.g. more superstitious and thus, more susceptible when it comes to "the game".


The Predators like keeping a low profile so they don't show up on the Radar of local investigators, be it an actual "debunker" or law enforcement. Most of them are not solo operators but rather, part of a larger "family" network. If you've read the tome on the Psychic Mafia you have a glimpse into some of what goes on here but the way these folks work is much cleaner and far more cunning.

The group I helped break up in Nevada was composed of a very large hispanic family headed by two sisters that ran seperate Psychic Reading storefronts. About five members of the family were taxi cab drivers, a couple were involved in cosmotology while others either worked for the local rubbish removal companies, hotel house cleaning, etc. Long story short, they were everywhere and had amazing access to would be marks that would, when the opportunity presented itself, get directed to one of the two Psychic stores.

These people are incredibly patient... they might work a mark for over a year before putting the bite on them. Befriending them and building trust is the first step. But know up front, they aren't using clipboards, billets, and all that other garbage you've read about. It's much simpler and practical when you get to the reality of it all.

THE CON itself will vary from mark to mark based on their percieved needs and what the hustler is setting them up for. It could just be casting a simple love spell or helping (magicklly) with a court case for a few hundred bucks or, it could be something as dramatic as removing a family curse such as our local charlatan just got busted on... charging tens of thousands of dollars to perform a ritual. The whole thing was hilarious and I simply can't believe someone would fall for it, but they did. It was only in hindsight that they got wise and filed official complaints with the authorities and ... all going well, help get her shut down.

Obviously there is much more to this than I've covered in this limited space, but I hope it shines a light on things

Thanks, very illuminating!

These people are clearly a world apart from the psychics and mediums you get at carnivals and tea parties and of course those who genuinely believe in their 'powers' and are trying to help, but somewhere in the middle you get the likes of John Edwards who seems to be using the skills of the entertainer to prey on the same beliefs. In the sense that he is not targetting anyone in particular and it is all down to personal choice for them to get involved he is not doing anything illegal, so where is the line draw between what is acceptable in the eyes of the law and what is not?

nickj wrote:so where is the line draw between what is acceptable in the eyes of the law and what is not?

I'll stick me 2p'sworth in here and say the 1951 Fraudulent Mediums Act.

I'll stick me 2p'sworth in here and say the 1951 Fraudulent Mediums Act.

Which is:

Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951
(14 and 15 Geo 6 c 33)
An Act to repeal the Witchcraft Act 1735 and to make, in substitution for certain provisions of section four of the Vagrancy Act 1824 express provision for the punishment of persons who fraudulently purport to act as spiritualistic mediums or to exercise powers of telepathy, clairvoyance or other similar powers (22 June 1951).
1. Punishment of fraudulent mediums, etc.
(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, any person who:
(a) with intent to deceive purports to act as a spiritualistic medium or to exercise any powers of telepathy, clairvoyance or other similar powers, or
(b) in purporting to act as a spiritualistic medium or to exercise such powers as aforesaid, uses any fraudulent device,
shall be guilty of an offence.
(2) A person shall not be convicted of an offence under the foregoing subsection unless it is proved that he acted for reward; and for the purposes of this section a person shall be deemed to act for reward if any money is paid, or other valuable thing given, in respect of what he does, whether to him or to any other person.
(3) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding (the prescribed sum) or to imprisonment for a tern not exceeding four months or to both such fine and such imprisonment, or on conviction on indictment to a fine... or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to both such fine and
such imprisonment.

(4) No proceedings for an offence under this section shall be, brought in England or Wales except by or with the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
(5) Nothing in subsection (1) of this section shall apply to anything done solely for the purpose of entertainment
2. Repeals
The following enactments are hereby repealed, that is to say:
(a) the Witchcraft Act 1735, so far as still in force, and
(b) section four of the Vagrancy Act 1824 so far as it extends to persons purporting to act as spiritualistic mediums or to exercise any powers of telepathy, clairvoyance or other similar powers, or to persons who, in purporting so to act or to exercise such powers, use fraudulent devices.

Between 1984 and 1992 there were 6 prosecutions and 5 convictions. Doing well, isn't it? !