Book Review published on Suite101.com
about "The Encyclopedia of Magickal Ingredients."

Here is the link to the article. Thanks to Linda Ashar for the great write up:-)

George Vecsey (NY Times Sports on Sunday) speaks with Lexa on Breaking the Jet's Curse

N.F.L.

Sports of The Times

On Road to Super Bowl, Sprinkle Some Eye of Newt.

By GEORGE VECSEY

Published: January 16, 2010

Observe the angst of Jets fans. They are hopeful. They are fearful. More fearful than hopeful.

Wenjie Yang

A lifelong Jets fan, Mark Williamson, with a witch, Lexa Roséan, performed a ritual in Times Square on Dec. 3 to support his team. It has lost only once since.

Amidst all the quavering — waiting for mud to entrap the Jets in San Diego on Sunday — only one Jets fan has done anything concrete about the 40-year absence from the Super Bowl.

Mark Williamson staged an exorcism.

Multimedia

Video

‘Breaking The Curse In Times Square’ (Vimeo)

It is not clear exactly what he was exorcising, but some Jets fans have convinced themselves that the team is caught up in some curse, which sounds a little grandiose to me.

I think there are only so many curses to go around. I am perfectly willing to believe the Red Sox labored under a curse after letting Babe Ruth go to the Yankees for the 1920 season. It is quite likely that the Nets have been fated to lose in a ghastly swamp since ditching Julius Erving. The Cubs? That billy goat hex always sounded a little spurious to me.

But the Jets — excuse me if I offend anybody — just seem to be a generally mediocre team to which bad things happen from time to time. Then one January, there was Joe Namath.

Whatever it was, or is, that ails the Jets, Williamson was willing to do something about it. Williamson is a freelance video producer who happened to be born into a Jets family. As he said on Friday, if he had been born into a Giants family, he would have witnessed three — count ’em, three — Super Bowl championships in his 37 years.

Instead, at an early age, he witnessed the nimble Jets playing in Miami in 1982, when a sudden bog materialized in the Orange Bowl, and Richard Todd threw an interception to A.J. Duhe. To this day, if somebody in the Williamson family wants to feel particularly miserable, he or she just mutters A. J. Duhe.

This year, Williamson became an activist when the Jets hit a slump in midseason. He engaged the services of a witch named Lexa Roséan, who lives in Manhattan and says her coven of witches “did something” for the Mets in October 1986. Something to do with the withered ankles of Bill Buckner? She didn’t say.

•

Her father played some football back in Florida, Roséan claimed; therefore, she knows a bit about that sport. “Football is a much cleaner sport than baseball,” she said Friday. “Baseball has all kinds of weird superstitions.” Right. Just ask Moises Alou, still psychically standing down the left-field line in Wrigley Field, waiting to catch a long foul fly.

When Williamson had a consultation with Roséan, he said something about a vague Jets curse.

“Of course, that is open to interpretation,” Roséan said. “But the Jets were definitely blocked. As witches say, we had to uncross their path.”

She proposed that Williamson stage the ritual under a full harvest moon in early October — at a crossroads — so he chose the banks of the East River near his home in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. A brisk wind, however, blew out the candles. Can’t exorcise 40 years of no Super Bowl without candles.

This time, Williamson selected the crossroads of the world — Times Square in Manhattan. There are some of us who think Times Square needs its own exorcism of the chain stores and suburban-mall blandness, and a return of our traditional sleaze, but that is another story.

The ritual took place at about 6 p.m. Dec. 3, a day after the full cold moon, and hours before the Jets’ game against Buffalo in Toronto.

“We wanted to send the love,” Williamson said.

Roséan said the ritual was “pretty straightforward” to please the god Legba, or Elegua, as he is variably known. A petition. A chant. Candles. Three coins. And three mint candies, preferably red, but since this was for the Jets, Roséan proposed using green-and-white mints, the team colors.

Roséan was unable to attend the ritual because she had the flu. Who knew witches get the flu? Anyway, Williamson did what he was told, twirled around a bit, received hugs from passing brothers and sisters, dropped the coins, dropped the mints.

That night, the Jets beat the Bills, and they have since lost once and won four, two of them gifts from the gods — or rather from opposing coaches who did not field their best teams.

Wondering what the Jets’ trouble was over the last four decades, Williamson and Roséan hit on the absence of a strong male figure, ever since Namath’s knees gave out. Lately, they have decided that Rex Ryan, the beefy, wisecracking head coach, is the charismatic man the Jets have been lacking.

•

“There is one side effect,” Roséan said of the winning streak.

I never miss the opportunity to play straight man to a witch.

Yes, ma’am?

“I’ve fallen in love with the Jets,” she announced, having watched two recent victories. She plans to watch somewhere on Sunday but cautioned Jets fans not to leave it up to the candles and the coins and the mints.

“As a witch, I often counsel people, ‘You are the magic,’ ” she said, adding, “That last little ingredient.”

Williamson is preparing for Sunday, practicing the Jets’ chant: “J-E-T-S! Jets! Jets! Jets!”

It must be fun to be a fan. Or miserable. Or both.

Breaking the Jet's Curse

Read Lexa's interview with George Vecsey in NY Times Sunday Sports section about breaking the Jet Curse!

GO JETS!

The Jets Curse Video 14 - Lexa the Curse Expert

Lexa the Curse Expert from Wayne Earl on Vimeo.

Brujos Urbanos: ENTREVISTA A LEXA ROSÉAN

Brujos Urbanos: ENTREVISTA A LEXA ROSÉAN

Lexa's Halloween Interview on Fox News

Lexa Roseån speaks about witchcraft, the pagan origins of Halloween, and spells for the season of the witch with Alan Colmes in the Strategy Room on Fox News. October 29 2009

Hex Education

Follow this link and Hear the podcast

Christian and Lori are proud to welcome Lexa Rosean, author of "The Encyclopedia of Magickal Ingredients," "Power Spells," and "The Supermarket Sorceress," among many other powerful titles that bring help make magic easy! We'll talk about how some of the regular ingredients in your kitchen can make some of the most powerful spells and also discuss some of the more arcane items that Witches employ in their magic!

substitutions for candles to mark a circle

Dear Lexa
Are there any substitutions I can use to mark a circle besides a candle? I live in an apartment complex and also use a Wheelchair. The apartment managers do not like or allow candles in the building can you help me substitute any other objects in place of candles?

The candles used to mark the quarters or 4 directions of the circle could be replaced by small electric lights or flashlights. You could also use something symbolic of the quarter instead of the candle such as
a feather to represent the east
something red and fiery (jalapeño pepper comes to mind) to represent the south
a bowl of water or a shell to represent west
a smooth stone to represent the north.
You could also just visualize the candles without actually having them there.
blessed be

Behold the Psychic Powers of FANGORIA RADIO tonight!

Check out Lexa's interview on Sirius Radio and hear her help Dee Snider of Twisted Sister remove a curse.

Behold the Psychic Powers of FANGORIA RADIO tonight!

Friday, June 19, 2009 01:45 PM James Zahn THIS WEEKS SHOW

You'll sense a great show on FANGORIA RADIO (airing on Sirius XM Stars satellite radio, Sirius channel 108/XM channel 139, from 10 p.m.-1 a.m. EST) tonight!

Hosted by Dee Snider, Debbie Rochon and Tony Timpone, Fango Radio won't fear the REAPER (or Nazi Zombies), but we'll rock with ANVIL and exorcise some inner demons.
Joining us tonight:

• You've seen him facing off against Ray Wise's SATAN on the CW's REAPER, and now actor Bret Harrison will be stopping by to give us the scoop on his latest projects, and the recent DVD release of REAPER: SEASON TWO.

• Psychic Margie O'Neill will let her senses run wild with the Fango crew.

• Tommy Wirkola - Director of IFC's DEAD SNOW (pictured) will be stopping by to fill us in on his much-anticipated Nazi Zombie epic, currently showing on IFC's VOD service, and opening tonight in New York City at the Cinema Village (22 East 12th Street) and in Los Angeles at the Laemmle Sunset 5 on June 26th!

• Steve "Lips" Kudlow, frontman of ANVIL and star of new documentary ANVIL: The Story of Anvil will be in the house to discuss the band's recently comeback success!

Plus another psychic, Lexa Rosean will be joining us to assist in exorcising the possibly-cursed Dee Snider!

As usual, FANGORIA Magazine editor Tony will let us know what’s happening in the world of horror and take part in the interviews, and we’ll have the usual great prizes for those who answer our trivia questions correctly and send the best e-mail to deeanddebbie@yahoo.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . The psychics agree - the only place to be is on FANGORIA RADIO! You can now listen to us over the Internet for just $12.95 per month; for information and to sign up for Sirius, click here! And to sign up for a free three-day pass to listen to FANGO RADIO and other great Sirius programming, go here.

wronged but want to do what is right

I have a question. I firmly and totally believe what goes around comes around and would never wish harm on anyone or anything. That being said, how can you hope someone or ones get their comeuppence for doing you wrong and spreading hurtful demeaning lies and rumors around the community that people are believing and having ruined my honest and once upstanding reputation?
g

There are many spells to stop gossip and to to regain a position or reputation that has been lost. The most popular one is a candle called Tapa la Boca or Shut Your Mouth. It can be purchased in most well stocked botanicas. This candle is burned to stop the person or persons from continuing to do damage through speech or actions.
There is also a spirit known as Nebiros who helps one restore honor or regain a position that has been taken. His seal or signature used to draw him down along with instructions can be found in the Goetia or Lesser Key of Solomon. To invoke him, his seal must be carved into metal and worn or can be etched into parchment or wax and burned. Nebiros also responds well to a mixture of brick dust, patchouli, cinammon and mastic. This spirit would be summoned to reverse the damages that have been done to you.
If it's justice you seek, I recommend the Egyptian Goddess Maat as she weighs the souls of mortals and decides their fates. There is a wonderful seal with instructions for a ritual in Lady Rhea's book The Enchanted Candle. These candles can also be prepared by me and ordered through my website.
blessed be
Lexa

Chestnuts & Cloves remedy Global Economic Crisis

Dear Lexa Rosean,

I have read some of your books that where released here in Germany. A lot of your magical spells I am testing.

In one of your books you describe magic how to win a court case too.

I have to appear in court next month, because my ex boy friend steal a lot of money from me. He is a would-be lawyer and it seams that he will win the court case, because there are not any evidences that he has taken the money. Only what I have told the police is the reason, why we have to appear in court. I have given him money before too, because he informed me that he as problems and need money. He promises that he will give back the money as soon as possible. I never got the money back, that I have given him.

When I am going to court I need something that the public prosecutor and the jurist believe my version of the case. You wrote that I need therefore a chestnut. There is no chance to buy some chestnuts now in the supermarket, because first when it is fall, I can buy it here in Germany. Is there any chance to take something that has the same magic like a chestnut?

I am looking forward to hear from you.

Best wishes

Vinaceous

Dear Vinaceous

There is nothing that quite does the trick as well as chestnut so I would ask you to check if it is not possible to find canned chestnut stuffing in the market. If so, scoop some out on a spoon into a square of tinfoil. Fold up the tinfoil and gently carve a pentagram over the top of it and then carry in a pocket or purse when you go into the court room.

If this is not possible, you can use a mixture of rose, mint, and nutmeg. Can be oil or powdered dried herb/flower form. But with this, you would need to dust your hands and somehow touch your ex. (maybe you could shake his hand?) It forces liars to be exposed and/or come clean and ask for forgiveness. By touching him in the courtroom after you have dusted your hands with the potion, the prosecutor and jurist will be able to see through his lies. If you cannot touch him without raising suspicion or possible endangerment to yourself, then I recommend dusting a photo of him with the mixture on the night before your court date. You should also dust your hands with the powder in the morning before you go to court just in case you get an opportunity to safely touch him or even a chair that he will sit upon.
good luck and success in court.
blessings
Lexa
p.s. you should also chew 3 cloves and then spit them out while calling out his name and the amount of money he owes you. Repeat this 3 times. It is an old spell to collect debts.

Casting the Circle

Dear Mrs Rosean I read in a Book that it is correct to say Lord and Lady of the __insert Direction to Witness this Right and Guard this Circle do not know if that is correct can you answer?

Yes, this is more or less correct except usually we summon the elementals that correspond to each direction.
For example: "I do summon stir and call you forth O you mighty ones of the East- powers of Sweet Air, Sylphs, Winged Ones(add any other creatures associated with the East) that you might witness our rite and guard and protect our circle in the name of Lord and Lady" (here you can also add specific God/dess names that are the tradition of your coven or that connect with the type of ritual you intend to perform. Hope this helps.
blessed be
Lexa

Candle Spells and How they Work

HI,
DOES YOUR SPELL CANDLE MANIFEST QUICK FULL RESULTS? ARE ALL UR SPELLWORK DONE BY CANDLE ONLY? THANK U.....JOHN

Hi John
Each case is different concerning how long the spell will take to work. It depends on what you want and how clear your path is on the way to getting it. There are however traditional ingredients that can be added to any spell for fast results. (cinnamon is a favorite for speed). For the most part, you should feel some type of effect within a full lunar cycle (28 days), sometimes sooner. If no progress on your objective is made within that time period, it means you need a spiritual reading to analyze why it's not working. Perhaps you have approached the work incorrectly. Working spells without a diagnostic is basically the same as taking meds without getting a physical from a Doctor. There are also many different types of spells just as there are for example many different types of antibiotics. You have to find the one that you respond to best for good results. In addition, the answer to your question will depend on the nature of the spell. If what you want is a long term goal, do not expect it to work overnight. Generally these spells are more effective when done in phases. For example, if you need to lose over 75 pounds, you would do best to break that down to 3 candles asking for 25 pounds each. Don't expect to light one candle and wake up in the morning 75 pounds thinner. This is not how it works. Candle spells are a spiritual tool to guide you through real life work and action. They are most effective when worked with in this way. Finally, spells are like prayers. Some are answered. Some or not. Bottom line, this lies in the wisdom of God and Goddess.

In terms of my services, I offer candle spells and spell consults. A spell consult means an assessment of your situation and a personalized spell designed for you either with candle work or other methods. It does not mean however that I perform the spell for you. I strongly believe that the practitioner must be involved with the magick in order for it to be most effective. I also offer tarot and astrology and past life readings. In addition, I have written 11 books of spells and most are available through my website or on Amazon.
blessed be
Lexa

To Lexa:

i remember from one of your books a weight loss spell , something about celery, honey and visualizing your self thin and to be done on full moon going to new, thats now. so can u please edify me if ive forgotten or remembered incorrectly this spell. as id like to start asap/manana etc

if u have any other weight loss spells id appreciete them sent out to me

rock on you groovy woman of manhattan and mistress of the madgical arts !!!!!!!!

thanks J
that spell was featured in two of my books. Supermarket Sorceress and Easy Enchantments. The first is out of print but the second is available. I also prepare weight loss candle spells that can be ordered through my website.
blessings
Lexa

God Ganesh

If you are having career or financial difficulties during these hard times, I can not stress the importance of having a representation of the God Ganesh in your household. If you are interested in hinduism, yoga, eastern philosophies, or of Indian descent, you are probably familiar with Ganesh. If not, you should be. He is the Lord of Removing Obstacles and often turned to spirituallly for financial aid. He has many aspects so you'll want to do some research before choosing your Ganesh Statue. Ganesh Mall has a wide and diverse assortment of Ganesh statues and products so it's a great place to shop for all your Ganesh needs. Along with statues of Ganesh in many different poses and atop a lotus (spiritual) in a tusk (for power), they offer wall hangings, books, jewelry, and my personal favorite - a Ganesh messenger bag. (Ganesh is also the messenger god :-)

The best selling items are the brass statues and these are the most traditional depictions of Ganesh and are traditionally displayed in the home or workplace and chanted over along with offerings and flowers being placed in front of the statues. The site also offers lots of information on Ganesh if you want to learn more about him.

It is also traditional to make a gift of Ganesh to a friend or loved one who is troubled in some way or needs help overcoming obstacles. Ganesh Mall provides a gift giving service that includes gift wrapping. Wow, another obstacle already overcome!
Om gam ganapataye namaha!

Power of the Pentacle

What effect does drawing the Pentacle in the air with the Athame or hand have on the magick you do?
-Raymond

Dear Raymond
the drawing of the Pentacle is one of the most powerful aspects of the Witche's rites and part of drawing the circle to create sacred space. By drawing the Pentacle in the air with Athame or middle and pointer finger of right hand, you are invoking the God, Goddess, and Elemental forces to protect, empower, and witness your rite. The effect - providing the Divine Elements approve of your magick - would be to get a Spiritual Seal of Approval upon your work.
Good luck and good magick
blessed be
Lexa

OKRAnomic Magick

Dear Mrs Lexa Rosean,
Does Okra due to its green color have any known Magickal attributes?
-Daniel B

Thanks for the great question. Okra is a wonderful food & unfortunately an
oversite not to include in my book The Encyclopedia of Magickal Ingredients.
You are correct in calling attention to the green color of Okra. Many green colored foods (including Okra) can be worked with to draw fertility/prosperity. Seeded plants (such as grapes) are also used in money rituals and Okra contains white seeds which makes it especially good for cleansing and removing financial obstacles. Okra is one of the main staples of "soul food" and was also known as slave food. Unfortunately we are all (rich and poor), slaves to the current global economic problems and all of us could use a good infusion of Okra into our diets.

The fruit (vegetable) is also phallic shaped and that makes it a prime ingredient for sex magick. But perhaps the most magickal quality of "Gumbo" or Okra is it's texture. The uniquely sticky gooey characteristic that often turns folks off from eating it is exactly the reason why Okra yields such powerful spiritual benefits. Cook Okra in seafood gumbo for comfort, protection, and sustenance during hard times (regardless of the lunar cycle). It acts as a thickening agent on the spiritual level just as it does on the physical plane and will help to stretch whatever resources you have to cover your expenses until better times come along. It is good for getting jobs, money & financial opportunities to stick to you! Eat it on a new moon (and during waxing moon cycles) when looking for work or when you are freelancing and want to get return clients or referrals.

Okra is a member of the cotton family and has strong communication vibrations. Eat on Wednesday to help bring business from advertising. The cottons also ward off poverty, so eat anytime you feel in financial danger or hang and dry Okra flowers or fruit over the hearth to protect from financial disaster.
Finally, as I mentioned, the amazing Okra also has some special "tantric" properties. Eat pickled okra to last longer in bed. Cook okra with stewed tomatoes on a full moon and feed to a lover to keep him/her faithful and to give a "sticktuitiveness" to the relationship. It can also be eaten after a miscarriage to insure that the next pregnancy will stick and the woman will safely carry to full term. In this case, the okra should be sliced so the seeds are exposed, lightly sauteed with olive oil or butter and sea salt and shared by the couple on a new moon.
Hail & Blessings to the Okra - a gift of Mother Earth infused with Magickal attributes!

Encyclopedia of Magickal Ingredients just released in RUSSIAN!

Формат 84*108/16 мягкая обложка ISBN 978-5-9573-0914-7 272 страниц Цена 444.36 руб. Вес 426 гр. В корзину Викканская энциклопедия магических ингредиентов автор: Росеан Л. Автор книги "Викканская энциклопедия магических ингредиентов" - Лекса Росеан - авторитетный и признанный специалист по Викке, профессиональный экстрасенс и астролог. В энциклопедии в доступной форме описываются магические силы и качества более чем 500 ингредиентов: трав, масел, цветов, продуктов питания, предметов повседневного обихода и магических инструментов. Вы узнаете, что, во-первых, каждый ингредиент имеет своего астрологического или божественного правителя, к которому следует обращать заклинания. Во-вторых, принадлежит к определенному типу, знание которого облегчает поиски ингредиента. И, в-третьих, имеет магическую форму, в которой его следует использовать. Также, в этой книге вы найдете ответ на вопрос, почему вас так привлекают некоторые запахи, вкусы или продукты, ведь через них тело и душа сообщают нам о своих потребностях. Данная энциклопедия имеет неоспоримое преимущество перед обычной книгой заклинаний: помимо детального описания магических свойств, в статьях рассказывается о связях между отдельными ингредиентами, а также приводятся примеры простых заклинаний, направленных на достижение конкретной цели. Эта книга будет незаменимым помощником для новичков, которые только вступили на путь Викки, а для опытных магов - ценным руководством, благодаря которому они не только обогатят свою магическую практику, но и овладеют искусством составления индивидуальных заклинаний. В корзину Правила заказа книг

С этой книгой также покупают:

http://www.vesbook.ru

蕾克丝的舞会

article written about Lexa in China Press by Kaiyu Sun

蕾克丝的舞会 【纽约】图/文 孙恺愉 　　蕾克丝 　　第一次见到蕾克丝，是在纽约每月一次的盛大探戈舞会上。那时候我还是个探戈新生，平常练习都颠颠簸簸，到了正式舞会更是全身僵硬，直冒冷汗。那晚完全是因为看到海报上说舞会里有占星师算命，为了满足好奇心才前往的。 　　我买了门票进场后就四处寻找那位占星师，好像跳舞根本不是主题。围着舞池边缘绕了一圈，才发现一块神秘的“地盘”。小圆桌上摆有一台笔记本电脑，旁边有个牌子写着“塔罗占卜”。 　　连塔罗都改电脑了？真是连巫师都不落伍。小圆桌旁坐着一位女士，我在她面前走来走去，犹豫半天，和自己斗争了很久，才上前小声地说：“请问这塔罗算命是免费的吗？”我以为，这是包括在门票里的额外服务。 　　“不，是要钱的。”蕾克丝回答。我突然觉得很不好意思，说声：“谢谢”就赶紧跑开了。 　　那天蕾克丝的衣着很普通，没有特地为跳舞做精致高雅的打扮，我完全不知道她是个杰出的舞者。而且她戴眼镜的样子很严肃，令我问过那个困窘的问题之后便紧张地离开了，不敢再和她说话。 　　记不起那天晚上究竟有没有跳舞，倒是这一窘事记忆犹新。 　　一晃就是两年，我开始穿梭于纽约大小探戈舞会，成了舞迷们说的，擅长夜间活动的“吸血鬼”。偶然瞥见蕾克丝，差点认不出来。我惊叹着哪里来的潇洒女子，领舞领得这般好。 　　蕾克丝如果是以舞者而不是占星师的身份参加舞会，定会西装笔挺，整整齐齐，从手帕领带到鞋，每个细节都不马虎。我从来不主动和她说话，也从来没有人介绍我们认识。于是，我遥望她遥望了两年，没想到过了两年半，我和蕾克丝成为了朋友。 　　前段日子，我和S君去观看纽约主办的第二届美国探戈大赛。蕾克丝一箭双雕，拿下社交组第三和表演组冠军。爱拍照的S君在颁奖后抢着和蕾克丝合影，顺便递给她餐馆的名片。不久后，蕾克丝就在S君的餐馆里办起舞会来，由她教授入门课，给大家讲解舞蹈音乐。 　　开幕那天，中秋节刚过两天，大家“马后炮”似的一起吃月饼。两个礼拜后是犹太新年第二天，大家又“马后炮”似的一起吃蜂蜜苹果片（犹太人的传统，象征“甜甜的一年”）。因为这种特别的气氛，使蕾克丝的舞会总是和别的地方不同。 　 　蕾克丝是个千面女郎，只见她一次是很难看出她的多样性的。第一次接触她时，觉得她很冷酷，有点高傲，甚至令人有些害怕。后来在一些细节中，逐渐认识到她 体贴的一面，了解到原来她懂得为别人着想。开幕那晚，她因为怕领舞的人不够，有些女孩会干坐一晚没人请，特地邀几个男生来帮忙。曾经有人怂恿蕾克丝把奖杯 带到舞会宣传一下，她没有这样做，因为有个帮忙陪舞的朋友连续两年和蕾克丝参加同一个比赛，却连连没有入围，蕾克丝不想让他心里难受。 　　蕾克丝既有阴柔之美，又有阳钢之俊，容貌无论如何打扮都潇洒，而且满腹文章，知识丰富，气质独特，真所谓“秀外慧中”。 　　逐渐认识蕾克丝后，才把她的精彩生活统统挖掘出来。除了做舞迷和探戈老师之外，她还是塔罗专家、作家、诗人和演员。 　 　蕾克丝的第一份工作是个蛇舞女郎，外号“蛇女诗人”（SnakePoet）。美国知名艺术家安迪·沃荷 （Andy Warhol, 1928-1987）在这个时期曾为蕾克丝摄影。蕾克丝曾经在中央公园，吊在Delacort剧院对面的一棵树上朗读爱伦 坡、莎士比亚、劳伦斯、柯尔律治，以及她自己的诗。1982年，纽约警察用枪口对着这位女诗人和她13英尺的宠物蟒蛇“莉莉”，把她们逐出公园，迫使蕾克 丝不得不在后来的几年间找一份“实在的”工作。 　　蕾克丝开始学习魔术和超自然艺术。这些年间，她传授占星术、塔罗占卜、犹太教的卡巴拉等 等，并且自己做占星师。她的著作有《超市女魔法师》（The Supermarket Sorceress）、《超市女巫的迷人夜 晚》（The Supermarket Sorceress's Enchanted Evenings）、《魔术烹调原料大 全》（The Encyclopedia of Magickal Ingredients）等等。她还为若干杂志写星座专栏。 　　蕾克丝写的几部话剧，包括《囚徒》（The Prisoner）、《游泳》（The Swim）等等，都曾在WOW咖啡屋上演。蕾克丝也在La Mama剧场、Dixon Place、PS122等地方演出她自己的作品。 　　蕾克丝的才华多得让人数不清，除了探戈，她还曾经学过爵士舞、芭蕾舞、踢踏舞。去年，她是第一位正式应邀参加布宜诺斯艾利斯Mundial探戈比赛的女性领舞者。 　　蕾克丝年长我许多，她年轻的时候，女性地位不高，挣扎了很久才获得今天较为稳定的生活。其实占卜只是类似心理辅导的工作，近来美国经济不景气，她笑说，她的生意倒是好了，大家都来找她。 　　蕾克丝从来不叫好朋友让她占卜，我们见面总是聊天跳舞，把工作抛在脑后。原来所谓女巫师，也只是比较有趣的凡人。现在早已没有烧女巫的做法和对巫术迷信的态度了。蕾克丝只是比别人有更细致的感受力和坚强的信念。这是艺术家需要的品质，难怪她拥有那么优美的舞姿。 下一篇4

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2008 年 12 月 10 日　星期 三

放大 缩小 默认

Check in with your Psychic!

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November 23, 2008

Love, Jobs & 401(k)s

By RUTH LA FERLA

ON a good day last summer, Thomas Taccetta, a stock trader, might have checked his financial charts before plotting the day’s investments. Today he is likely to check in with his psychic as well. “I’ll play the broadest index, the S.&P. 500,” Mr. Taccetta said, “and if she tells me she is getting a negative view, I will sell.”

Since September, when the Dow collapsed, Mr. Taccetta, who trades for his own portfolio in Boca Raton, Fla., has talked with his psychic about once a month, roughly twice as often as a year ago. “There is no rhyme or reason to the way the market is trading,” he said. “When conditions are this volatile, consulting a psychic can be as good a strategy as any other.”

In an era when even Henry M. Paulson Jr., the Treasury secretary, changes his mind weekly about how to rescue the United States economy, Mr. Taccetta’s decision to seek the advice of a psychic may not seem all that irrational. With Washington flinging pieces of the $700 billion bailout package around, dithering about whom to rescue — homeowners? automakers? cousin Fred? — a good set of tarot cards might come in handy.

“Your mortgage agents, your realtors, your bankers, you can’t go to these people anymore,” said Tori Hartman, a psychic in Los Angeles. “They’re just reading a script — at least that’s how my clients feel. People are sensing that the traditional avenues have not worked, that all of a sudden this so-called security that they’ve built up isn’t there anymore. They come to a psychic for a different perspective.”

Psychics say their business is robust, as do astrologers and people who channel spirits, read palms and otherwise predict the future (albeit not the winning lottery numbers). Their clients, who include a growing number of men, are often professional advice-givers themselves, in fields like real estate and investments, and they typically hand over anywhere from $75 to $1,000 an hour for this form of insight.

“My Web traffic is up and up and up,” said Aurora Tower, a New Yorker who constructs spidery star charts for her growing clientele. “People will entertain the irrational when what they consider rational collapses.”

Quackery? Whatever. But after all, the nation’s supposed experts on the economy, from pundits on the networks to billionaire investment bankers, have not been exactly reliable. And spiritual readings, as they are known, appear to be one of the few growth sectors in a contracting economy.

“My phone is ringing off the hook,” said Roxanne Usleman, a psychic in Manhattan.

Ms. Usleman, who says she channels angels to advise her clients on interpersonal and financial matters, reported both a spike in traffic on her Web site and a significant surge in private consultations. She used to see comfortably 15 to 20 clients a week, she said. Now she meets with more than twice that number. “I’m having trouble squeezing in appointments,” she said.

Dawn Carr, a psychic in Boston, said her holiday bookings jumped as much as 70 percent this year over last, fueled in part by corporate bookings for holiday parties. “These people are looking for someone not just to entertain them, but to enlighten them,” she said.

Although most of us would settle for just enough telepathy to read our spouse’s mind, some people crave more.

“When you don’t know what to expect of a job interview or a business partnership,” said Gita V. Johar, a professor of at the Columbia University Business School, “that is when you’re most likely to turn to a psychic.”

Professor Johar, whose specialty is studying the effects of superstition on consumer behavior, suggested that when your portfolio is shrinking or your business is tanking, talking to a soothsayer may be “one way of feeling in control.” She needed no crystal ball herself to predict that “given the uncertainty of the economy, psychics are going to see an increase in business.”

The steep prices charged by practitioners of divination do not seem to have deterred many of the financially fretful. Ms. Hartman, the Los Angeles psychic, said her Internet traffic has picked up substantially, from about 30 visitors a day to more than 200. She charges from $150 for a 30-minute telephone reading to $500 for 90 minutes of “intuitive counseling.” In what is perhaps a sign of the times, the $70 moss-scented prosperity candle offered on her Web site has become her best seller, she said.

Many more men have joined the ranks of seekers. “In the old days men would turn to their wives and ask, ‘What did that goofball say, honey?’ ” said Michael Lutins, a New York writer and astrologer. “Now they are raising their heads, interested in matters that were once considered women’s stuff.” Mr. Lutin has lectured about astrology at such male-dominated institutions as the Harvard Business School Club of New York.

Ms. Usleman said that her once predominantly female clientele has also expanded. Men — among them lawyers, doctors, chief executives and insurance brokers — now make up about 50 percent of her business. They approach her, she said, with highly targeted questions, as if they were grilling an investment counselor. “Before agreeing to a reading, they will ask: ‘What is your accuracy rate? Can you guarantee your readings? How do you get your information and can I depend on it?’ ”

Aside from storefront readers, psychics rarely hang out a shingle, making their earnings hard to track. But one person who has attempted to quantify the rising popularity of psychics is Robert LoCasio, the chief executive of LivePerson.com, a site offering telephone consultations with experts in fields from finance to fly fishing.

When he bought his company a year ago, Mr. LoCasio checked the Consumer Sentiment Index, which is published by the University of Michigan and charts consumer confidence, from 2005 through September of this year. He then compared the data with records from his own company, and drew the conclusion that when the economy is down, consultations with psychics spike noticeably.

Live Person earned revenues of $30 million this year, about 70 percent derived from spiritual readers, Mr. LoCasio said. “In this day and age, a spiritual guide is an everyday therapist — that’s what the business has become,” he said.

In more ordinary economic cycles, psychics tend to offer guidance on romance and relationships. These days, they are besieged with questions about whether a pink slip is in the cards, whether a condo will sell, or whether a company will continue to prosper.

Alicia Bowling, who runs a sports bar in Manhattan, consulted a psychic when friction with a business partner seemed about to imperil her livelihood. “I used to go to my psychic about twice a year, but in the past year, yikes, I may have talked to her a dozen times,” said Ms. Bowling, 49. “I used to ask more about love, or will I ever be married, but with all these hard times, I wonder, ‘What’s going to happen to my bar and will I survive?’ ”

Sergei Pamukh, a New York stock trader, considers himself a skeptic about supernatural matters, but softened his stance after consulting Ms. Usleman, the Manhattan psychic. When his business was flailing earlier this fall, she suggested that he travel to Moscow to meet with a billionaire mogul. “In two or three weeks I am going,” he said.

Ms. Usleman said she typically fields questions these days like, “Should I go back and live with my parents?” and “Is it O.K. to take my children out of private school?” In the past, she added, “they would ask, ‘Should I have a baby?’ But now they have put that on hold.

“Basically, what people want to know in a troubled economy,” she said, “is what can they do to reinvent themselves.”

Fahrusha, a Madame Blavatsky from Manhattan, said that clients have been pressing her with highly focused queries. “They might want to know about investing in a particular security, or ask how the euro will fare against the dollar,” she said. In flusher times, they might have consulted a financial expert, she said, “but some of these people are experts themselves.”

Maria Napoli, a Manhattan astrologer whose clientele includes a growing circle of the rich and famous in the worlds of fashion, art and finance, observed that many of her clients were fretting about a global picture, not just their careers. “They are asking: ‘Where are we headed as a country? Are we entering a depression?’ I get a lot of Republicans wondering where their party is going.”

Mostly they are after a little peace of mind.

“It pays to cover all your bets,” said Stuart McFaul, who runs a marketing and public relations company in San Francisco.

Mr. McFaul checks in with his psychic when he is stumped for answers about where his business, and his competition, might be headed. “I’m a big believer that you really don’t dismiss any opinion,” he said.

Ms. Bowling, the bar owner, is grateful for the slightest shred of insight. “In times that are this nerve-racking, all it takes is one word that kind of helps you get through your day,” she said.

Magick in Taiwan

塔羅女巫 Lexa Rosean

Lexa Rosean不但是個靈媒，還是個現代女巫，她用占星和塔羅為客人解答疑難雜症。身在猶太家族中的她，15歲時因為身為同性戀而被逐出教會，之後來到紐約並加入Wicca巫術教會，學習塔羅占星、葯草學和巫術，並於Enchantments巫術店工作7年。

用 塔羅和占星術算命後，Lexa Rosean談談做女巫的好處：「發現問題，我還可以教客戶用魔咒來心想事成。」許多人對魔咒質疑，Lexa Rosean表示，魔咒是種祈禱、也能保持能量和磁場：「在魔咒中用最多的是芬香治療，就跟香水廣告一樣，如果我們使用葯草泡魔術浴、或是塗上愛情靈藥， 這會讓我們的靈氣充滿更迷人的氣息，也可以打開我們的潛意識。」

網址：http://www.lexarosean.com

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