My friend Nathalie is a woman of many talents. She's a great cook, a patient teacher of the French language to hopelessly slow students (named, coincidentally, Aurelia d.), and a wonderful single mother to a well-mannered teenage son. She's also a kick-ass tarot card reader and budding astrologer who likes to throw parties and practice her burgeoning talents on her guests.
In early February, she hosted a vegan "Soiree Magique" dinner party and I was lucky enough to be invited. It was pot luck; I brought homemade sushi (shiitake, yam, and avocado), Annick brought a tasty Vietnamese salad, Beatrice brought several varieties of che (otherwise known as my favorite sweet-salty Vietnamese dessert), and Sophia brought the water. Yohann, the sole man on the invite list, brought his girlfriend Helene and his tarot cards, and others brought "magical" talents to share: Reiki, Feng Shui, and astrology.
After sharing our delicious, cobbled-together, Asian-inspired meal, we each drifted toward the "magician" offering the sort of magic we preferred. I'd heard a lot about Reiki and its healing powers over the years, so I gravitated toward Annick. The process involved me lying on a bed on my back, while Annick used her hands to either hover over my head, shoulders, legs and feet, or to gently touch them. An interesting fusion of Indian, Japanese, and Chinese meditation-style music played on the stereo, and each time a bell chime would pipe out of the speakers, her hands--which felt warm and comforting--changed position.
The session took about 45 minutes--about 30 minutes longer than I was expecting. When she was finished, Annick asked, "How do you feel? What was your experience?" The truth was, I only felt relaxed and sleepy; not bad, but not miraculous, as far as I could tell. I hoped my revelation didn't hurt Annick's feelings. Maybe I just need to give it another try.
Tonight, Nathalie is hosting another "soiree magique," and featured on the magical menu are not just reiki, astrology, and tarot, but I Ching and bilan energy work. What do I look forward to the most?
Dessert.
Dessert: plastic tubs of delectable Vietnamese Che, made with grains and coconut milk
In early February, she hosted a vegan "Soiree Magique" dinner party and I was lucky enough to be invited. It was pot luck; I brought homemade sushi (shiitake, yam, and avocado), Annick brought a tasty Vietnamese salad, Beatrice brought several varieties of che (otherwise known as my favorite sweet-salty Vietnamese dessert), and Sophia brought the water. Yohann, the sole man on the invite list, brought his girlfriend Helene and his tarot cards, and others brought "magical" talents to share: Reiki, Feng Shui, and astrology.
Nathalie explains it all
After sharing our delicious, cobbled-together, Asian-inspired meal, we each drifted toward the "magician" offering the sort of magic we preferred. I'd heard a lot about Reiki and its healing powers over the years, so I gravitated toward Annick. The process involved me lying on a bed on my back, while Annick used her hands to either hover over my head, shoulders, legs and feet, or to gently touch them. An interesting fusion of Indian, Japanese, and Chinese meditation-style music played on the stereo, and each time a bell chime would pipe out of the speakers, her hands--which felt warm and comforting--changed position.
Cats are a required component of any "soiree magique"
The session took about 45 minutes--about 30 minutes longer than I was expecting. When she was finished, Annick asked, "How do you feel? What was your experience?" The truth was, I only felt relaxed and sleepy; not bad, but not miraculous, as far as I could tell. I hoped my revelation didn't hurt Annick's feelings. Maybe I just need to give it another try.
Tonight, Nathalie is hosting another "soiree magique," and featured on the magical menu are not just reiki, astrology, and tarot, but I Ching and bilan energy work. What do I look forward to the most?
Dessert.
Why yes, that is a dream catcher you see there, ready to, er, catch some dreams
Sophia's astrological chart likely reads "another successful year, career-wise"
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