Transcript
[0:00] Music.
[0:15] No featuring Levin.
You're funny come back out on your face and give me 25.
Eww.
No matter what real life throws at us, Support each other through it. So, yay, thanks a lot.
[1:12] Boom, boom, boom, or anything like that. I just want to let you all know, Might not be my belief might not be the person sitting next to me which right now is my dog.
But it is your belief and we're not going to have people being mean, Whether you believe in divination or not it's interesting to a lot of people we want to make sure people know about it, It's driving con. Maybe you're stuck in the shirt and 1 day and you want to see what the hell is going on. This is the cool thing. I also know one of our guests and we will talk to her. Is it going to be doing some other panels as well? So, Amy Ravenson and Estell, Oh, just like the awesome. So, we're doing that and hi, Sarah Rose, who's on the is actually one of the people watching us in the background. So, yay, hi, Sarah.
We're not going to be playing a game but thanks for being up so freaking early girl.
[2:24] We're recording this. We're going to put it on at a point later we don't know yet.
But all of us let's hold them up have our caffeine calculated drinks as we're doing this in the morning, Espel and I both like the either Fizzy or Cold and Amy well Amy I think that's a iced coffee, Yeah. We believe in the power caffeine folks.
That's what gets us through.
[3:04] Thank you guys so much for being on here. No, thank y'all for being on here. I'm really working on that.
I work really hard to get y'all out of my vocabulary. Me too.
It's not right. You shouldn't use it. I was like, alright.
I don't know about the new. Yeah. English. I want like I'm like what I want. Yeah. Right. And so but my family was mostly raised in Pennsylvania. And they had used guys All the time, Hey gender neutral I just like it so hi y'all and I'm really working on it Yeah. So thank you all for being here. But now tell me a little bit about, Dimination you have both of those group which we'll talk about but let's talk about divination at Dragon Con, Any I think you were there at the first.
Yeah actually the.
[4:32] Want to do tarot readings at Dragon Con and I thought it said it really weird. I was like, I don't, I don't know how that's going to go. This is, you know, this is a kind for geeks. I don't know.
People were into it.
Yeah the fourth book five pre-covid.
Yeah yeah definitely precovery COVID yeah there's before COVID in Africa COVID yeah, But yeah and it's been.
[5:17] Hey all the dragon con in a way is controlled chaos. Is it not? Yeah. Absolutely. There you go. Open it Hey Facebook can you, Goes forward. No matter what. Yep. What? There you go. So that would be I would say.
Trolled with coats around the world.
We're invited because the prior director knew you and knew you right there. Yes, yes. How many people were there? How many?
Readers were there at like our first couple of sessions. Do you remember? I think we had maybe three or four.
People have come and people have gone so like we we have stayed around like this year we have four, Because you know.
[6:23] Okay that's cool and it's not how did you get involved in the this part this diviners part of, No I was talking to the doctor let me give you some, I've been a lifelong terror reader of Been reading tarot since I was actually like before I could read the words on the cards and and I kind of well known for being super into it so when my friends found out that it I felt before me that it was, No and I wasn't thinking like I should go get my cars right. I was like I wonder if they're looking for people to read because I don't, A secret of dimination.
[7:30] I found a post it was public where he posted like We are looking for volunteers and I send them a message like, Yes.
We always want our readers. We always want more readers. Yes.
Amy, how would we know Joe is your husband?
Okay. And here's the guy who is directing traffic and calling out the names on the list. Awesome. Awesome. Okay. So now, let's talk about Amy. How did you get involved in keeping this going And and growing it to the point where we have it now. Well, I just, I loved it.
And I.
[8:37] And, Gathered people together and I try to get you know a account on who's going to be there and and who's going to be reading what and that sort of thing so it just kind of naturally evolved.
You know and and it's kind of interesting because the, It's really funny because I think that's how every person who ever gets in the backstage helping part of even doing panels even being member of a panel, I wanted to kind of you know, I want to help. Yeah.
[9:35] And I became a volunteer.
Yeah, the town happened. You get sick. Yeah.
[9:48] I always think of Al Pacino and the Godfather three. I keep trying to get out but they suck me back.
You know and I always think that, This is great and that's why I love something like this. This is a little bit different. This is something you'll only see a dragon pond.
So Amy I'm going to start with you and then I'm going to go to Estelle but Amy how would people, What's going on with that? How do you find it? How do you sign up for this?
The best way is to, I would say to get in touch with me. Because I'm the one who kind of like tries to organize everything. And to do that, I'm Amy Ravenson on Facebook, which is, you know, spelled on the screen here, Send me a message and again, we want more readers. We love more readers and you don't even have to read tarot. It can be ruins. It can be, Tell me how things said I'm working on right like, Hey Facebook I love that because there are many different types of dimination and that may be in the room Yes.
[11:13] Hey I also dabble in ruins a little bit okay, That's a new idea.
Yeah and so Estelle are you totally tarot or do you branch a little, Charm set that's an oracle set that I'll pull them one shot, Don't because I'm really comfortable with tarot and it's like why fix it if it's not broken?
And I gotta tell you all I know about ruins I learned from Harry Potter fan fiction and talking to Amy, Awesome.
That there we go. And I don't know anything other than that but I wasn't like so excited. I knew something, Contact Amy yes and it's Amy Ravenson and.
[12:29] Amy Ravenson No spaces, nothing else@Gmail. Com. Yes, this will all be in our little write up of the podcast but I wanted to do that in a still, We'll put your information on in a minute. So that we can make sure we get all of that. Now, The question I have is Amy how if somebody wants to, Sign up to have a reading. Yes. In many years, it's just been come, first come, first serve. How are y'all doing it now? Cuz you keep adding new stuff Oh, look.
Man that should be available around August 28. Okay. Hopefully on the day but it's, you know, right before Dragon Consue, you know, it's dragging con folks. Let's, you know, give her a day on. Plus, minus Exactly, Wow.
[13:36] And that one's really that's really easy to find y'all Yeah. Dragon Con underscore extract if I am correct but it might be extract underscore drawing on don't know put extract all one word in a Facebook And it'll you'll find it. So awesome.
Yes okay so how many people on average, Her panel because it's the panel time that you're doing this did you eat, Oh, it's hard to say because it all kind of goes by in a blur. We try to be, Being so quick that you just dismissing.
[14:30] Between 10 and 10 and 15.
Sounds about right I do try to keep mine short like I'll give them the charm and then the three cards and then maybe a fourth if something upsetting came up and they're like oh my gosh like could, No.
Say roughly 10 to 15 okay and Amy, In the past you've done a history of tarot. Are you doing that again? Are you doing anything related to that? Either one of you. I'm sorry to tell you as well. You're doing anything about Divination as an actual, But I am.
[15:19] Oh, very cool. So, I'm really excited about that. That's something that, you know, I'm, I'm kind of passionate about now. That I've been learning a lot. So yeah, it's really exciting.
Okay and it's still how about you any other panels you think you might be on or, No I'm technically just a volunteer for the tarot panel because I'm not like actually like a guest like I have to pay. Right. Yeah. And everything.
Applying to be a part of the extract officially just to see if they could use me for anything else. I would definitely be open to it. I'm very excited but that would be Probably be a next year thing because that shit has sailed for 2023 but in the future it would be something I'm, Estelle I'm going to let you know to talk to Deb, Because they'd love to chat with you about potential panels, So that's really good.
That's how we got started with the history of tarot people ask what do you how do we do this and all that and that's actually a question I have from Sarah Rose on the chat which is, Do how do you find someone who teaches or helps people, Learn.
[16:41] Innate or what are your opinions on that before it goes?
Yeah I think that's what I was trying to get to but I wanted to make sure that I wouldn't step on your toes about like that So but the question we have is do you know anyone who teaches because she has she has a, Magyar, Learn about this and and can help them build their skills when they have that innate ability, And I honestly I don't have any.
[17:38] And see if there's a reader who and you want to read her who's been reading for a long time you don't want to read from somebody or learn from somebody who's been reading for 3 years right, And see if they're like any classes or anything along those lines.
I would think that would be your best bet I still do you have any better ideas, I actually put several videos on YouTube about that I was going to do a whole series but my channel didn't really do well and I was like ehm I just watched.
[18:12] Signature like fouses and Doctor Falcy from the book Fowl signature because that's the whole like the Fasty and Bargains sign your name of blood that help me.
That I love that story if you can't tell but don't do that that's a bad thing to do the burden doesn't work That's a good president.
[18:36] By the yeah I have a YouTube channel called Foust Signature and I did a couple of Before I gave up and if there was ever interested in me doing more but also, I I do teach because I've it's something I've been doing my whole life so yeah if if she is interested in that I would invite her to contact me because, And that's great. And Istelle, I'm going to have you type. If you can see the comment section, I'm going to have you type your YouTube channel and for those listening, we will this comments should show up still on the YouTube channel, but also we will make sure that we put, Youtube in there and we're going to get all this stuff from them because we love helping people, What's going on? I think promoting this.
Is often how you find people that are interested, people that, People that don't worry sometimes. I mean, I'll I'll be very honest. I'm going to tell you all a story and people told me I, It was crazy my friend until I talked to my family about it, My grandfather died many many many years ago and before my husband and I were married.
[19:50] And I was woken up in the middle of the night, I was shaken I mean I would like woken up and I woke up and I looked And it was my grandfather and he you could just tell from his face he was furious, Wow. Grandfather was a lapse Catholic.
Hey and so there was all of that and I woke up, Ice cream I woke up my husband I made him look up turn on the lights look all around the room there's no grandfather I'm good and I kept that story quiet for years and then My mother was talking 1 day at Christmas in somebody said something about you know oh he would have loved this and she goes well he comes around and visits me all the time and I went, So, he visited our family. All of the daughters and he talked to them. Me, just was mad at. I'm his granddaughter and named him. Hey, he was just mad at me.
So I think that's a good thing because when you find people who you can talk to about this No matter which side of the divide of belief or not believe you're on It really really, Can help you and I don't know if y'all have stories like that but if you do.
[21:05] The my story is actually really interesting. Apparently, when I was too young to read, I mean young, young, I think maybe like Three or four. I was with my mother at the local flea market and there was a tarot deck at that I still have.
There's a tarot deck at a stall that someone was selling and me being this child having no idea what it was.
I lost it. I was like, I want this. I don't want anything else.
Please buy me this i would not stop badgering her until she got it for me and then she started teaching it to me because, You know she was open to that kind of stuff and and she wasn't really a practitioner herself but she didn't really see a problem with it so she kind of was showing me the pictures and I started learning like what was, I'd need her help.
You know, it's tell me what does this mean? What does that mean? Oh my gosh, it's so cool but yeah, I was creepy little kid who's like, I wanted I want the fortune telling that mommy.
[22:10] I'm sorry I want an orb I want an order for Christmas bomb can I have an orbs so I can, I think is that that or is it Doctor Strange?
Kinda look like Wednesday, huh? Yeah, so, yes, you and the doctors range one.
And so Amy how about you? How'd you get started? My story is similar. I was 12 and I had heard about tarot. I was fascinated with it. And I got my father, To buy me my first tarot app when I was 12. So, I got him down to this bookstore called The Spinks in Midtown Atlanta.
I don't know if it's still there or not. No, it's not. It's not but it was like an old school metaphysical store. It smelled like incense like nag champ it was Brilliant. I love that place.
He got me the, But I don't remember what it's called. And it is the worst act to learn on.
It's terrible.
[23:36] And then I, I've just always had a tarot deck nearby. So, I've just always been reading and that was that was 1987. So, Devin, wow. Yes, sir. Tell you were on time.
Yeah I'm going to feel old right now but Estell you said you were like three or four so what year was that When you stop, Yeah. He says, no.
[24:13] You're very yes and I think that's important too because you also have some people who will be joining you as you said you've got four definitely and two that might be there might not be might be it certain ones or not so hey Ben And I just want to say that's not to say that, You know, people who are new are not welcome because you are absolutely welcome. Even if you have to look things up in the book, please come and read for us. That's that's still great because.
[24:43] Good reading. So, yeah, come in, come read for us.
Hey Facebook please I'm going to help you with that please Amy Ravenson, Hey Facebook, August is is due to you and and we don't appreciate it. So, I appreciate it too because I kind of loved it. I get friends that Enjoy driving con. I share the joy of dragon con. Yeah. All the time.
But I kind of love that. So, I like that story and I think I remember the Phoenix.
Because in 84 I got to Atlanta and 88 and so I think it was still around until about 91 yeah this is getting a little long, And that's where we spend a lot of time because my husband was at Georgia Tech and yeah, I remember going in there going out. I don't know what this place is but yeah. And I remember that smell.
Hey.
[25:50] My husband had to leave because it was so dusty. He was sneezing everywhere.
Phoenix and Dragon.
[26:11] The Phoenix and Dragon does it's a great store it does not it is not dusty it has lots of different stuff and it's not all, I mean it's it's it's a metaphysical store but there are people like if I took my mother there she would find stuff to Yeah not knowing that it's a metaphysical store. She'd figure it out after she looked at some books. But for that right now she'd be like oh this is all good.
So yeah the Phoenix I'm driving there may be many many more. Estell I know you're not from Atlanta. If you want to give your major city near us and like a bookstore you would recommend a metaphysical store, I live in Coastal Alabama not a whole lot going on here but my go, 2 hour drive west.
[27:06] Hex and omen are like the big, I mean they're okay but they're very like tourist, Let me come back that because I can't seem to call the names of my friends. No, that's fine.
I didn't mean to put you on the spot. I called.
[27:30] Ben who can tell you which ones are sort of just like the the touristy ones and which ones are actually, And Marie Levo's on the street on Bourbon, Is a great place touristy rice. I I don't know how much they do otherwise but it is a great tourist destination. You get to find some stuff and I've actually bought a few books there and they're really actually, The books. They're on my books.
And they're giving you the whole story about madam Lavo and it's oh my god so cool, One of the things I want to talk about is so you got the sign up list, And how again we're talking about controlled chaos how in the world does this go On you I don't know how many people will sign up for given time but how do you get them like how do you heard the cats not that anybody here is a cat how do you, Control the camera. We are so fortunate that we have had some great volunteers. My husband Joe is one of them. Big guy in the cowboy hat.
We've had Chris in years past. I don't know if he's going to be volunteering this year. But we always have people who.
[28:58] And, Really I just want to say thank you to them because they're amazing.
That's yeah you can.
[29:19] Dragon Con is 99%.
Run by volunteers. The people you see there, all of them from the person that registration, all the way up to probably people you see talking on stage, other than the, you know, be invited. Yes.
They're all volunteers driving time has a very very small administrative staff it so runs on a shoestring administratively And that's because this was created by the fans, Which we have fans here in, It's people who truly love what they're doing. We're not here because it's our job. We're here. We're passionate about the things.
[30:12] And I think that's really important that's very different and I've gone on my west coast con rant about media cons versus that media cons are there for specific reason I think that's right dragon congress, It's not that, It's my family reunion every year. Every person I see, I am so happy to see them. I hopefully this year, we're all going to feel comfortable enough to hug again. Yeah. It's nothing else. At least we'll like do the good Hey bum arm bump yes and I think that's wonderful I think yeah it's one of those things so we're talking about dragon pond and the volunteers and everything else Y'all have a favorite driving con memory or something that you just remember from Dragon Congo and, Amy, you're smiling. So, I think you have one. Let me give you first and then I'll go to his cell give her a second. So, I put her on the spot already. Well, I don't know if I should say this.
My favorite memory is when my husband and i got married at Dragon Con, When we got married by a very dear friend who was kind enough to get ordained so that she could marry us, Found an area that was not busy at the time and just did it quietly but with a bunch of our friends.
[31:39] It was brilliant because all of our friends were in town. From all over the place, and we had so many people there that would not have been able to come to our wedding otherwise. And I'm getting a little bit misty Which actually I got Misty then because I just bald in front of everybody.
[32:14] Driving fun related. Yeah. Wanna get married at Dragon Con and one of the hotels. That's between you and the hotel.
Yeah. Don't think anybody else can walk up to somebody and say, hey, we want to get married.
[32:33] You gotta be off you gotta be off of official Areas and you know, and I think it's good. I, I, I think about like, if I ever wanted to have a big anniversary party for myself, I'd have to do it Like driving fun we should be somewhere downtown because I've been married 30 plus years if I ever wanted to do a big one it would have to be during dragon fun because all my friends are busy in town and I don't care, Yeah, everybody's happy and yeah. Now, the vibe is great. It's perfect. It is a great vibe. Everybody's already happy.
They might be tired but they're already happy and that's always a good, I definitely can't follow that but, Bumping into Peter Mayhew I'm I'm a very tall person and having someone that can't look at me, You're tall. I was like, Hey Alex.
[33:47] Multiple different iterations of that and in my classic like dark rain looky costume, This is so cute So I act I pretended like I was being attacked and I was like oh no you know and the mom was just over the moon and they took, And you need and you made a kids memory awesome so yeah keep going.
[34:23] Gave me a cross stitch, It was so special that she, Is there a cost? Did you still have a reading? Cuz you just said somebody gave me this as a gift but.
Is there a cost?
That's at your discretion. You do not have to pay at all. It's free. I take my tips and usually end up dumping them into the charity, And maybe save out some for lunch or something like that.
But no, it's it's absolutely free. Come on down. Do not feel obligated to spend any money at all. We're volunteers.
Right and so again this is going to be you there's going to be links on the app and on the extract Facebook page to sign up If somebody can't find a time or or doesn't sign up is there a possibility of you know, There's a possibility what we're doing this year is we've got our Are a lot of spaces and are a lot of spaces are going to be based on how many readers.
[35:46] So yeah like definitely try to show up early If if you want to walk in, Like I've stayed late a couple times just to finish up some readings, Clear out for for the next panel. Yeah. Yeah.
So yeah, Right now. Well, I know it was more talking about people who may not Beers involved and might not look at Facebook or extract or whatever or even the app until they get there, App is out but it is usually about 2 weeks, Yep. Not 10 days.
Yeah but 4 o'clock yeah I I've already got enough caffeine in me right now I don't need it somebody to say drink and I'm up also you drink and I'll tell you what you gotta drink which is water, Okay, right. And I let me change.
[37:12] It's driving con. As we say, a panel isn't over until your butt is in the seat, it started and maybe even then something might happen Right I always like how a friend of mine puts it is that Dragoncon a panel isn't over until Tuesday A panel.
What we're trying to do right now with some of these that I'll be the only one on is Give me a little bit of the flavor of dragon con in different ways. So, if you are interested in your group or a group that does panels or somebody who maybe, You know, I don't know what, I don't know what panel you might be on. I don't know, So Anne I like cigars occasionally Very very occasionally but I was able to travel to Amsterdam. I have a human door and I have things that are awesome.
And I mean from the Amsterdam airport IE cigars.
So we want to hear from you.
[38:36] 0884 or email us and John and I both check the email for 50 days 50 days together At the unique. Com if you're curious about that it usually is also right here where the podcast is listed We will also want to let y'all promote yourself one more time. So, Amy, where can people find you? Find the Dragon Con diviners group, Well my YouTube is it's several years old and there's nothing good on there anymore. Okay. But you actually the best way to find me is Amy Ravenson. Com.
That's my blog. You can kind of reach me through, But yeah I still write in the blog occasionally. Yeah.
But yeah like if you're if you're curious about her if you want to talk about tarot if you love tarot if you want to read for us then get in touch, Excellent. Excellent. And Estell, I'm going to let you do it and you can spell 'em out as much as you need to, whatever else.
Signature so like FAUSTS.
[39:59] I used to have a website where I would do readings for people but I kind of got too busy to really keep up with it.
But I am also if you search for self boust on Facebook, you I'm sure I'll be the first result. I would give you my last day.
My my because my middle name, That's me.
And I only say my last name because they're already already knows it. They're only three of us. My husband, my child, and me.
So, you can find us. It's really kind of easy. Which one is.
So that is great but also 50 days, You can also search 50 days and like put it together but that'll maybe take you a little weirdness but yeah the unique you can find perfectly, No sorry let me do that again.
And myself I want to thank Amy and Essel for taking time out of their lives to do this podcast I think we showed a lot of really fun information You saw a little bit behind the scenes as we were getting ready early in our first day and oops.
But I really want to thank y'all. Thank you so much for being there. And as John says, peace.
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