Get a psychic reading, check out metaphysical items Saturday at the Port of Burlington

Readers, healers, mystics, and psychics will practice their specialties Saturday in the Port of Burlington.

Skeptics, believers and the curious are invited to Southeast Iowa Metaphysical Fair hosted by the Broom Closet from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

About 30 spiritual entrepreneurs, from healers to artisans, some dressed in "witch garb" or other creative costuming, will sell their magical and enchanted items, as well as jewelry, crystals, tarot cards, books and more.

The entrance fee is $5 at the door, and then readers set their own prices.

What to know about psychic readings

People already are signing up for Saturday fair consultations with psychic medium Ronna Boyd, a graduate of Burlington High School and Western Illinois University.

She is a Quad Cities-based spirituality guide, offering many services under one umbrella.

Demand for her readings has grown since the pandemic, and people have been asking different kinds of questions.

"In earlier times, it was more romantically related: 'Will I get married someday?' 'Is my husband cheating on me?' "

Or, a suddenly jobless client might seek guidance, or ask her, "Am I living in the right area?"

"Lately, it's been more about what to do with their life, loved ones they have lost that they want to connect with," said Boyd.

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COVID-19, with its profound loss and collective anxiety, "has had an effect on people's spirituality that I don't think people are completely conscious of. COVID brought out thoughts about life, where people are at," she explained.

Boyd does not do "cold readings," or, as she calls it, "throwing out bait."

She asks clients only for their first name and their town of residence. She holds an object worn only by them, such as sunglasses or jewelry, or she holds their hand.

"Object psychometry," she said, gives her facts and impressions. "Everything has energy."

Her detailed and specific readings spur trust, she explained.

"It's not a trick of the light, and it's not coincidence. I help them understand I am human, too. I don't judge. If I don't have an answer, I tell them," she said.

She never reveals client's names without their permission.

Many clients, she said, are professionals, including real estate agents who sometimes ask her to cleanse and bless an unsold home, with the owner's permission.

She sees more women than men, however, men do also seek out her services.

Boyd said she first discovered she had psychic abilities when she was 9 years old, at the Burlington Depot, and she saw a vision of an elderly woman falling facedown on the bus platform.

She tried to stop the incident she saw in her mind, but was held back, and the woman, waving, did indeed run to the platform and fall, suffering the very same facial injuries Boyd earlier perceived.

Since high school, she has devoted her life to embracing her abilities and studying Metaphysics.

Each year, Southeast Iowa Metaphysical Fair raises money for charity through a donation raffle, and Donation Connection, 3138 Sunnyside Ave., a non-profit shop of free, basic essentials, will be this year's recipient.

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Try craniosacral therapy to ease your ailments, but don't ditch your meds

Novel spiritualities always are on the rise, and the Broom Closet, owned by Lydia Gittings, taps into several of those.

The shops, at 1110-B Agency St., in Burlington, and 811 Avenue G, Fort Madison, attract customers seeking metaphysical supplies, intuitive card readings, massage therapy, and reflexology.

In mid-March, after completing a special course, Gittings began offering craniosacral therapy, "a series of gentle holds," targeting ailments such as sinus infections, headaches, migraines and depression.

"Whenever I introduce something new, I get a lot of interest," she said. "People also come in for the singing bowls."

Often used in yoga, reiki, music therapy, and sound healing, the bowls, which produce a deep, rich tone when played, facilitate mindfulness and relaxation, she explained.

Gittings said she wants to emphasize that any such wellness therapies are intended to add to, and not replace, conventional medicine.

Craniosacral therapy will not be available during the fair.

Crystals and a place to belong

The shops also attract people looking for not just "crystals and cool stuff," but "a place to belong" as they seek their unique path, explained Gittings.

There, they find a like-minded community in the Sacred Earth Society, and with that, a sense of freedom that comes from understanding one’s self and others, she said.

Despite Hollywood black magic stereotypes and false assumptions, metaphysical seekers and nature-based practitioners such as wiccans and pagans practice tolerance, and they encompass a broad range of beliefs, with an emphasis on seeking positive energy, according to Gittings.

She explained that the summer 2021 Southeast Iowa Pagan Fest-goers embraced the sight of two women standing on the outskirts of Crapo Park, praying for them.

"We welcome those prayers," Gittings said. "They are positive."

Sacred Earth Society now has about 80 local members, and meets at 7 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month at the Burlington Broom Closet.

Where to park

Due to ongoing construction work along the riverfront for the city of Burlington's Transportation Infrastructure Generating Economic Recovery grant project, parking on Saturday will be somewhat of a challenge.

Fair visitors will need to park at the far side of Memorial Auditorium, Gittings said.

This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: Get metaphysical with healers, mystics Saturday at Port of Burlington