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Mor
Doo: Psychics or Statisticians?
Contributed
by Trevor Ranges
Bangkok
expat, Trevor Ranges, visits Mor Doo, or fortune tellers,
at Khao Sarn Road, Tha Phra Chan, and Wat Rachanada
in search of an authentic reading of his future.
Not
long ago, I was walking along Khao Sarn Road, smoking
a cigarette, when an peculiar looking Indian man stepped
out from the shadows, his mesmerizing eyes burning
deeply into mine as he forcefully exclaimed: "If you
keep smoking those they will kill you." "Thanks" I
replied, thinking sarcastically to myself, "WOW! What
psychic insight this guy must have." Nevertheless,
I soon found myself sitting cross-legged on the ground
of a nearby alley and I was hearing more than I might
have been able to predict on my own.
He began by "reading" my mind (after I had written
the information down on a half hidden piece of paper,
mind you), and he did a bit of fondling of my forehead
and ears, all of which seemed oddly appropriate given
the circumstances. It really wasn't until he continually
asked for money in exchange for more information that
my western skepticism won out. Anyway, I thought,
who would want to live to the age of 103, as he predicted
I would, if they had to give up smoking, drinking,
and casual sex?
After I described my encounter to a friend, she explained
that while there were certainly many charlatans preying
on tourists for an easy Baht, fortune telling, particularly
astrology, has been a part of Thai society for centuries.
In fact, Wat Pho, which is acknowledged as Thailand's
first university, taught Astrology; King Rama I was
a practitioner of astrology and predicted the 'rerk',
or auspicious date, for the official founding of the
city of Bangkok; and Sanam Luang, the public field
to the north of the Grand Palace, was chosen by King
Rama IV for the Royal ploughing ceremony, celebrated
on the most auspicious date each spring as determined
by the Royal Astrologer. Even today, in the shade
of Sanam Luang's tamarind trees, Mor Doo continue
to practice their craft.
A Mor Doo, my friend went on to say, means "a doctor
who sees". They employ a variety of skills to forecast
an individual's future: astrology, palmistry, card
reading (tarot or otherwise), even examining the design
of a person's face (ngo heng) or feet. She said that
many Thai people visit Mor Doo for guidance and advice
about love, health, and business: such as ascertaining
the most suitable time for arranging travel plans
or getting married. Sensing my skepticism, she also
proffered the Thai saying: "Along with a doctor who
sees goes a doctor who guesses." I was immediately
curious to find out more about this seemingly preternatural
occupation.
Our first stop was Tha Phra Chan, the pier immediately
to the south of Thammasat University. Along a narrow,
dark alley leading out to the Chao Phraya River Mor
Doo ply their trade at a half dozen small tables running
parallel to an equal number of closet sized booths.
As various Mor Doo beckoned me to come have my fortune
told I realized I had no idea what criteria were most
important for selecting one: A diploma from a fortune
teller university? Recommendation letters from lottery
winners? All I saw were elaborately decorated cloths
covered with numbers and foreign script; red, wooden
framed yin-yang symbols; and curiously, more than
a few mirrored disco balls. I was genuinely nervous,
wondering if choosing the wrong Mor Doo would relegate
me to an unfavorable future. Fortunately, my preconceived
western notions of what a fortune teller should look
like were met half way in the form of a friendly Thai
gold-toothed smile.
Khun Heng began by looking up my birth date in the
Astrological Calendar. This book tells you the position
of the planets, as well as the moon and the sun, on
the day you were born. He recorded this information
on a 12 sectored chart, which to me looked like an
expanded tic-tac-toe grid. He inquired about the day
of the week and time of my birth and then began spinning
the wheels of an arcane looking pair of conjoined,
flat, metal discs, examining closely the position
upon which they aligned. After noting the information
gleaned from this final reading he began to tell me
his prognosis and I became immediately skeptical.
I have been involved in engineering. (Um…I used to
brew beer and teach skiing.) I should not wear the
color pink (ummmm…not a problem there.) I am allergic
to dust. (I don't like dust, but…) Have I had any
influential experiences dealing with snakes? (influential?)
I should open a restaurant???
Attempting to maintain my objectivity, I tried to
think of an explanation for these peculiar predictions.
I was born in an entirely different hemisphere. The
planets must have moved a bit during in the 12 hours
that passed from my birth time here and my actual
birth in the US.
Unfazed, I decide to go in search of a fortune teller
that didn't require such extravagances as birthdates
and star alignments. Fortunately, this area is also
home to several Mor Doo who practice quite a different
style of prophesizing. In the courtyard before the
pier sat a tanned, grey bearded, crippled man encircled
by foot-high stools. Intuitively I knew that this
man was a "seer" and sure enough a sign posted to
a tree beside him read "accurate fortune teller 39
baht".
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