7-8pm Workshop ($49 admission BUY NOW with PROMO CODE: SECRETS for 10% OFF)

8-9pm Book Signing (Free Admission)

In this workshop, co-authors of Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling, Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina Stevens, will guide participants through using their tarot decks to safely commune with spirits of all kinds. We will address working with plant, elemental, animal, guide, and ancestor spirits especially, but will happily explore any questions participants may ask. This class will have plenty of hands-on opportunities to practice the spreads and techniques we recommend, so bring your favorite tarot deck, and a pen and notebook to journal your experiences and revelations. Jezmina and Paulina will also give the often overlooked Romani cultural and historical context of tarot as a survival trade, giving participants an opportunity to engage with this tool with deeper respect and authenticity. Secrets of Romani fortune telling will be for sale, and the authors will host a book signing afterwards.

Jezmina Von Thiele (they, she) is a writer, educator, performer, and fortune-teller in their mixed Sinti Romani tradition. Their poetry, fiction, and nonfiction has been published in Prairie Schooner, The Kenyon Review Online, Narrative Magazine, and elsewhere under the name Jessica Reidy. Jezmina reads tarot, palms, and tea leaves. They also teach classes and workshops on divination, spiritual wellness, and the creative arts. Jezmina often tells fortunes and performs poetry with The Poetry Brothel, Boston’s premiere immersive literary event. Jezmina is also cohost of Romanistan, a podcast celebrating Romani culture, and owner and operator of the online vintage Etsy shop, Evil Eye Edit. Jezmina is based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Paulina Stevens grew up in an insular Romani-American family, destined to leave school, marry young, and become a fortune-teller. By age seventeen, her fate was sealed—until she decided to leave it all behind. Paulina is the subject of the podcast Foretold. Hosted by Los Angeles Times reporter Faith Pinho, the podcast follows Paulina as she navigates the consequences of her decision to leave her community and redefine her identity. The cohost of Romanistan, a podcast celebrating Romani culture, Paulina is based in Los Angeles.