Witch hunt in Hanover over tarot readings? No, says police chief, just a friendly warning

A social media frenzy that only a soothsayer could have seen coming − focused on a Hanover business and an obscure Pennsylvania statute on fortune telling − erupted this week.

It all started with a feature by Main Street Hanover on a small downtown Hanover business, The Serpent's Key Shoppe and Sanctuary, run by Beck Lawrence. The article includes "tarot readings" in the list of the business' services offered at its location at 10 Baltimore St.

After the article came out, Lawrence, who uses they/them pronouns, shared a social media post showing the text of an email from an unidentified representative of Main Street Hanover informing Lawrence about an interaction the representative had with Hanover Borough Police Chief Chad Martin.

The email to Lawrence says that Martin had read the article and saw "tarot reading" listed, and the chief mentioned stopping by to let Lawrence know that tarot reading is considered fortune telling in Pennsylvania, which is illegal. "When I spoke to him, it was just to notify you about the law in PA, not to press any charges or make any arrest," the email reads.

Pennsylvania Title 18, Section 7104, Fortune Telling makes it a third-degree misdemeanor in the event that someone is found guilty of "pretending for gain or lucre, to tell fortunes or predict future events, by cards, tokens, the inspection of the head or hands of any person, or by the age of anyone, or by consulting the movements of the heavenly bodies, or in any other manner."

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In response to the initial email, on Wednesday Lawrence shared a post explaining that their business makes it clear that the tarot reading services provided are all "for entertainment purposes only" and should not be taken as a prediction of the future for monetary gain. This disclaimer has since been added to the original Main Street Hanover feature about the business as well.

Since the post was made, as of Thursday, it has received over a thousand shares on Facebook and spawned numerous viral TikTok videos focused on the interaction.

While many online have described the interaction as a "witch hunt" or "satanic panic," others focused their ire directly on the chief, some questioning the department's choice to use time for something so trivial.

Statement from police chief

In a statement on Thursday, Martin recounted this interaction: "Upon observing an advertisement for a business in the Borough of Hanover that offered tarot card readings, I engaged in a conversation with two individuals concerning the advertisement and my intent to educate the person, or persons engaged, in the acts about the above listed statute. There was never an investigation, nor was there any threat of arrest in this matter. ... The only departmental time utilized was mine in an effort to educate someone and to prevent a future complaint or issue."

On Thursday morning, Lawrence shared a video on their page thanking the community that rallied around them for support.

"This has all gotten a lot bigger than I have ever expected," they said in the video. "I'm really just first and foremost thankful for the support."

In the video, Lawrence says the stress of the ordeal left them unable to eat over the last two days but that they hadn't heard anything from the police herself.

In an email on Thursday, Lawrence said they were unable to comment further while they seek advice from legal counsel on the subject, as they said that Martin had visited their shop Thursday afternoon to speak with them.

Lawrence did not share what that conversation entailed.

Martin closed his statement by suggesting those who find the statute problematic reach out to their legislators:

"If one possesses the sentiment that the statute, Pennsylvania Title 18, section 7104, Fortune Telling, does not protect anyone from harm and is not needed, then I would suggest that their proper recourse is to contact their legislators and voice their opinion."

Prosecution rare

The statute is rarely prosecuted in Pennsylvania.

A notable case under the statute was that of April Uwanawich, a Philadelphia woman who pleaded guilty to four counts of fortune telling after taking $10,000 from two women over the course of several months in 2009 and 2010, according to a report by the Pottstown Mercury.at the time.

That trial marked the third time that Uwanawich was convicted. In 2009, Uwanawich pleaded guilty to summary criminal mischief for taking $23,000 from a woman to "remove a curse," the report said. Then, in 2011, Uwanawich pleaded guilty to a felony count of theft for taking more than $35,000 from a woman to "remove a dark cloud over her head."

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Harrison Jones is the Hanover reporter for the Evening Sun.

This article originally appeared on Hanover Evening Sun: Witch hunt in Hanover, Pa. over tarot readings? No, says police chief