EAST VILLAGE — Anxious and a little tipsy, a drinker at the Scratcher bar in the East Village wanted a little help sorting out his problems.
He was trying to balance the demands of a long-term girlfriend and an all-consuming job promotion, according to astrologer Meri Axinn, who's set up a bar-side booth specially to help drinkers with their conundrums.
“He had already decided, but he was so torn,” said Axinn, who used a chart to inform her client of his temperament and the dynamic of his relationship with his girlfriend.
By the appointment’s end, the man in his 20s had made his decision. Love had lost.
Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night Axinn, a 56-year-old astrology reader and teacher, can be found at the Irish bar below the sidewalk on East Fifth Street.
Whether drinkers are fueled by a need for direction or simply entertainment, Axinn uses the geometric patterns of planets, the sun and moon to give them a greater understanding of who they are, where they have come from and what might be ahead.
“I am able to describe their temperament, their career, their interests, their childhood,” said Axinn, an East Village resident. “The charts show obstacles and they show blessings.”
Astrology is a formulaic skill that can be taught rather than a spiritual gifting. However, some have a natural “knack,” according to Axinn.
From where she sits in a darkened corner of the Scratcher, Axinn creates astrology charts with the birth information of clients – birthdate, location and name. Making sense of the pie-shaped diagram dotted with symbols comes from years of training.
“You might have trouble with authoritative men when you are working, or you have a spirit of a rebel,” she said, of the details a chart may reveal.
To demonstrate the ancient craft, Axinn compared the charts of opposing Superbowl quarterbacks, the Giants’ Eli Manning and the Patriots’ Tom Brady. While both astrology configurations showed signs of determination and intelligence, only one showed signs of good favor for the big game on Feb. 5.
Manning is up for good fortune.
Axinn, who does not follow football, also found an unusual compatibility between Manning and his wide receiver, Victor Cruz.
“Victor Cruz’s chart has the same chart configuration that Eli Manning's has,” she said.
Axinn is quick to separate herself from fortunetellers and steers clear of specific predictions, including when a clients life may end.
“20th century astrology has dropped the method of looking at death,” said Axinn, who has more than 30 years experience. “It was very important in the Renaissance, but now it is considered unethical to talk about death.”
Natalie Walsh, a 40-year-old East Village resident, got a $10 astrology reading a few weeks ago
Axinn presented her with a chart indicating a heavy focus on education.
“I felt good about what I was doing,” said Walsh, who works as a bartender at the Scratcher while she studies Liberal Arts at the Borough of Manhattan Community College. “It just reaffirmed that.”
Using the bar as a location made Axinn approachable.
“I wouldn’t go into a storefront, but I was curious,” she said, referring to the obscure fortunetellers who sometimes stare down those who walk past their glass windows.
Axinn, who uses Skype to do readers for clients in Italy, England and across the United States, had the idea to work out of a bar after seeing a palm reader use an Indian restaurant.
The location has given Axinn access to a range of customers. Some genuinely want direction, while others are skeptical and want to argue. She often does readings for groups of friends drinking together.
“Groups of friends will have repeated signs,” said Axinn. “This shows that they are attracted to each other, that they are compatible.”
For Kate Wiseman, a 22-year-old NYU student who was grabbing a drink at the Scratcher on a Wednesday night, astrology reading at a bar was a “fun” idea.
“It could take a few drinks for someone to get away from judging it,” she said.
While Wiseman said she currently had no dire need for life direction, the value for money and the entertainment factor had spiked her interest.
“Whether you believe in it or not, $10 is a decent price for anything in this city,” she said.
