The old women I used to know who practiced this sort of things died a while ago. They could also read in the palm of your hand, in cards, even in beans, and knew some secret "incantations" and practices, for example to make you feel better when you were sick :) I am sure there are some people who still practice this things, but now it's more a business to take money from gullible people.

About Allan, I look less at content and more at technique. There are few of his works whose contents resonate with me, but every one of them seems almost perfect to me. I learned a lot looking at his works and his videos.