So does fortune-telling help people deal with their personal problems? Chiu Hai-yuan (瞿海源), a research fellow in the Institute of Sociology, Academia Sinica, and sociologist at National Taiwan University who has done considerable research on fortune-tellers in Taiwan, thinks not.
"According to our surveys, when we asked [people] if going to a fortune-teller was effective in reducing their stress, most of them said 'no.' Only a few of them said it was effective."
All in the mind
And though Chiu offers little evidence to suggest why fortune-tellers remain popular in Taiwan — and indeed throughout the world — he does say that the uncertainty of modern society creates a considerable amount of stress on the individual.
"When [people] feel uncertain, they try to solve [their problems] by going to the fortune-teller or using astrology."
Although Chiu believes that fortune-telling is a false science, he points out that many of those who patronize fortune-tellers — especially in Taipei — are from society's economic elite.
Celebrities and the politicians often turn to fortune-tellers for advice.
"Business people, especially those in show business, are rich and uncertain. So fortune-telling is very popular [among them] because it provides the kind of certainty that's needed," Chiu said. "Politicians will ask the fortune-tellers for help because the political situation is very uncertain, especially during elections."
Chiu cites the example of how a few years ago the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) headquarters asked every candidate running for office to submit their personal information so that their fortunes could be calculated.
In addition to political and economic uncertainty, Chiu says fortune-tellers do a brisk business because they can speak with authority on a variety of arcane topics related to a person's fate and fortune.
"They are very knowledgeable … very smart. They can memorize a lot of rules. They have some very sophisticated rules that they can memorize very clearly and can respond spontaneously and … they look very professional," Chiu said.
Which is probably why Tsai and Yu Yang appeal to so many. Regardless of whether it is seen as a philosophy bordering on science or a self-help remedy, critics of the practice are largely ignored in favor of a little peace of mind.
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