Druid's move creates controversy

Chris Garry | 10th July 2009

IPSWICH'S first and perhaps only druid wants the region to know that she is not a witch. Clairvoyant Jackie Pope's move has certainly caused controversy.

Jackie Pope is a druid and wants the people of Ipswich to know she isn't a witch.

Sarah Keayes

IPSWICH'S first and perhaps only druid wants the region to know that she is not a witch.

Clairvoyant Jackie Pope's move to the golden west has already caused controversy.

After recently opening her tarot card reading centre, Wyrd Sisters on Brisbane Street, Ms Pope said she was visited by local Christians, who told her she had brought wickedness to Ipswich.

“I'm not a witch,” Ms Pope said.

“I'm a druid, there's a big difference.

“The Christians came here and labelled me a few things, apparently I'm wicked, but I'm okay with that.”

For those uninitiated, a druid is a Merlin-like character who combines the duties of priest, judge, scholar, and teacher with a heavy dose of the supernatural.

Ms Pope said she wanted Ipswich to experience what a real clairvoyant did, because there was a large difference between druids and psychics.

“I hate the word psychic. I'm more like a train station for people on a spiritual path; I can help them get to where they want to go.”

The bubbly Ms Pope said she opened her business because she was sick of bad tarot readers ripping Australians off.

“I don't ask questions when I'm doing my readings” she said.

“A lot of readers will ask open-ended questions and judge your body language to know the answer before you even say it.

“They gain a lot of information from just one good and specific question. I only make statements, and I tell you the truth whether it is bad or good.”

To test the skills of Ipswich's only and probably first druid, photographer for The Queensland Times Sarah Keayes subjected her future to Ms Pope's clairvoyance.

According to the cards, Ms Keayes' future holds a very lucrative job offer which will see her career skyrocket, a love triangle and mass amounts of adventure.

Ms Keayes said her tarot experience was positive and Ms Pope was quite accurate.

“There was one card she turned over which made no sense but apart from that it all fit together pretty well. She said I was spiritually empty and I am a skeptic.”