Tech bets on ‘mystical services’

Last year, Americans spent $2.2 billion on “mystical services.” We’re talking palm readings, tarot cards, “aura photography,” and a zillion astrology sites that divulge what Jupiter has to say about asking your boss for a raise.

Wild, right? Especially since you can open literally any women’s magazine or site and read your monthly destiny for free.

The industry has steadily grown over the last five years as the economy recovers and consumers more readily adopt alternative practices. But as this L.A. Times piece explains, this has usually been a scattered industry of solo practitioners, outdated websites, and 1-800 numbers. Now, Silicon Valley is ready to take Ms. Cleo into the future.

Sanctuary, a digital astrology startup from Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video Ventures Incubator, just raised $1.5 million in venture capital. (That entire sentence is whack, for multiple reasons). The company specifically launched last Wednesday, i.e., “the dawn of the new astrological year, when Pisces giv…