My sister Lee and cousins Nancy and Persis put on a wonderful party for friends and family last month to launch Love Potion Number 10. I was too busy signing books to get my own fortune told, but out on the porch, folks were lined up waiting for Madame Lee to read their cards and to consult the 8-Ball.

Photo credit: Lawrence Ballon

Here’s Lee exchanging vibes with neighbor Marcus.

Now, Lee has not admitted to any previous experience in divination. She has mentored a lot of people, though, and says that, if she had to do it all over, she might choose counseling as a career. She’d be fantastic at it—she gives her full attention to people and is both hardheaded and empathetic at giving advice.

So here she is, pulling a Jana Bibi—minus a parrot on her shoulder.

What interested me is how people, even though they knew it was “just for fun,” got into the spirit of the thing. They wanted to talk, they eagerly waited for their cards to be turned over, they just plain liked having someone focus very intently on them and their future.

Lee, for her part, said it was energizing to be giving the advice (plus she liked wearing that strand of beads in her hair.)

Photo credit: Lawrence Ballon

Photo credit: Lawrence Ballon

Cousin Howard seems pretty happy at the results of his consultation. Thank you, Madame Lee!