The theme for the 2015 Ball was The Dance of the Tarot. Here I was in Salem, where magic infuses the air on a daily basis. Taking my broom for a ride in New England, during Autumn. The whirlwind that is Salem at Halloween will leave you catching your breath. There is so much to do and see.

I somehow arrived at the beautiful Hawthorne Hotel, early. Getting my table ready, with mat and card decks. I brought a classic tarot deck and Halloween deck and a Halloween oracle deck, my Witch’s Runes and Chakra Stones. Meeting all the other Readers was amazing, and as I looked out the window, later, seeing lines of costumed people wrapping around the hotel I think I floated out of my head.

We were told there were 700 people at this Ball and there were 17 of us, which meant 41 people each, but I remember anywhere between 40 and 50. The time simply flew by. Four and ½ hrs. of doing roughly 5 min. readings. Some a little longer. Some were a couple that sat with me because they wanted to be together and I ended up doing a reading for each one separately. I had a jar for tips and was being paid a flat fee. The possibilities were endless….and we were off.

I found when I removed my witch hat, I teleported into the ethers and was more one with the energy. I was on auto pilot as I would start the timer on my ipod and move my hands to reveal cards, touch the runes, crystals, then clear the table mat for the next person. It was awesome. There was no negative at all, and the 2 folks out of all that might have been a bit less convincing were still won over by good spirit and earnestly listening to them. And here’s the thing, if shared their question, it was usually love, relationship or a job. One gal had me connecting with her grandma!

I loved all the amazing costumes, and the time just seemed to float by as I. The main thing was being selfless with the readings and delivering to them the spirit of the Halloween fun all around us. It showed in their responses and thankful words. I was pleased. One look at the line of people streaming into the Psychic Salon where I sat, I would set on a new face that would nod as I looked up , or I would wave a welcome and they would come over and sit down as I gave them my hand “Hi I’m Danny” and then I’d lead into my short intro. of my decks and stones. Many just liked the classic Rider Waite, but just as many were fascinated by the Halloween Decks, and well, the Spirit of the season and the veils thin…

So much lore and occult knowledge just seemed to flow out of my mouth as we talked. It just seemed to work it’s way into the readings. A spell to fund someone nice, priming your subconscious before sleep for an answer to a question. Maybe it was the magic of Salem.

Their lives were full of family and challenges, wishes, jobs, moves and the gleam in their eye when I’d hit on something fueled my going ahead. The information channeled just seemed to flow continual. I wasn’t me, just this energetic vessel and the energy was always perfect love and trust around the table and in the process. My hands were ethereal movement. The cards really worked with the stones, in fact sometimes they mirrored each other, and a profound word from the Oracle deck would enhance the imprint. They were all so sweet and went about their day to day like all of us. There was a woman scientist who was a bit doubtful but warmed by my enthusiastic “magic can’t always be quantified to an exact formula to be written a board the way Leonard or Sheldon would on Big Bang, but miracles happen everyday”.  She was glowing when we ended.

I didn’t eat either, since lunch. I had done it on purpose. Didn’t want to be full or have my energy affected by digesting food. All I wanted to feel was the energy of the people at my table, no distractions. There was no stress, expectations or comparisons, just the energy of connecting, unassuming, humble, helping. Connecting all the dots in their lives. A couple of times I was asked if I’d see anything bad, would I tell them, but I would let them know that even if there was a negative card or stone, you read the influences around it and how they work together. The outcome is always your doing, your magic.

I remember the shift of vision so unlike a forced focus. In art they would tell us not to stare at the details but to shift the focus to blurry and in that way you got the color veils that really existed and the shapes that were prominent. What unfolded surprised even me. To sit and contemplate is to stay stuck looking at things in all their detail. But go for a run or clean house, getting lost in just that and your mind wanders to a solution that jolts and surprises you, to a new way of looking at something that had not occurred prior. I’m not profound, but it is fascinating when it happens and leaves you loving the mysteries.

I would do this again in a heartbeat. In fact I have been asked to stay the whole month of October 2016 and I couldn’t be more thrilled. I believe in magic.