Columnist Susan Snyder: Following is a psychic reading

Friday, Sept. 21, 2001 | 8:58 a.m.

Susan Snyder's column appears Fridays, Sundays and Tuesdays. Reach her at snyder@lasvegassun.com or 259-4082.

Robert Leysen says there are no psychics.

And that's an interesting statement coming from the man who owns the chain of Psychic Eye Book Shops in Nevada and California.

"There's no such thing as a 'psychic.' There's no certification by any government body," Leysen said. "All we can do is know our place."

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about an Elko woman who police said bilked more than $30,000 from people by claiming she was a psychic.

OK, so I'm evil. I poked fun at the situation.

It is hard to believe this one woman would be the object of a police investigation for taking money from people who just as easily could have been duped by a bangle bracelet-wearing actress on one of those television psychic hot lines.

But Leysen says he and others who make a living offering a reputable service that many people want don't think it's funny. People who defraud those who trust them are stinkers no matter what the line of work, he says. It's no different than being ripped off by a dry cleaner or mechanic.

"When people come into our stores, we want them to get some entertainment, some hope, some direction and some empathy," he said. "There's a place for what we do, but we have to know our place."

In Clark County people who want to work as psychics must have a psychic arts business license. Clark County records show 53 such licenses have been issued. They include not only psychics but also people offering such services as hypnosis, numerology predictions and zodiac readings.

Psychic arts licenses are regulated, which means anyone applying for one is subject to a background check before the license goes to the Clark County Commission for approval, a business license office clerk said.

Psychics also cannot do readings out of their homes, the clerk said. People with home-based businesses cannot have customers coming to their houses. They must take their work or services to the client.

So if the person you've chosen doesn't have a license and wants to do your readings in his or her living room, it's probably a good idea to find someone else.

Leyson suggested finding someone who has a permanent place of business, such as a store with which he or she is associated, or a regular shop of his or her own. He says watch out for those hawking readings on a windshield flier.

"And if anybody comes up to you on the street and hustles you, walk away," Leyson said. "Be careful of anybody who walks up to you and says, 'I can see you need help, and I can help you.' "

Leyson says he employs 110 psychics among his 14 stores. Some do readings inside the stores, such as the one in Henderson. Others are hired out.

"We work a lot of conventions. Psychics are entertaining," he said. "But when people come here and go behind the curtain, it's for hope or direction."

Leyson says he isn't a psychic, but he makes no apologies for marketing the art. He simply offers a service people want.

"We're dealing with an abstract. Has anybody ever seen God? No. But thank God there is religion. We need it," he said. "But let's call it as it is. Religion is a business."

And the buyer needs to beware.