SHARONVILLE - One learns two things quickly at a psychic festival:
To read palms, you must have a cool name, such as Lavender M., Sondraya or The Midnight Muse.
And a psychic festival isn't entirely what you might think.
Since the Victory of Light festival started in 1992, it has grown from the ballroom at the former Quality Hotel in Covington to filling up the Sharonville Convention Center. Hundreds - a crowd diverse in age, race and gender - visited the festival this weekend, attending workshops on things from sharing dreams to finding love and keeping a serene home.
There's none of that "woo-woo aspect," said founder-intuitive consultant Victor Paruta. (He meant creepy.) He's not really sure it should be called a psychic festival, but still hasn't come up with something better. He thinks "metaphysical" is too long, "soul" connotes something else and "spirit expo" sounds like a cheerleading workshop.
"It's about life," he said Sunday, sitting amid the crystal sellers, clairvoyants and reiki masters. "It's about life's questions and finding a nondogmatic way of figuring things out. It's about expanding your mind beyond preconceived limitations."
Romeo, a chihuahua brought to the festival by his owner, Tammy Ulreich of Hamilton, shared with animal communicator Morgen Espe that he knew Ulreich in a past life. The dog with the gray face and rhinestone-studded collar considers Ulreich his hero, Espe said.
"There was just something so special about this dog," said Ulreich, who has had other animals but never felt the same attachment as she does with Romeo. "I just wanted to see what they would say about him."
While the focus of the festival is helping people expand their minds, there's a much more down-to-earth aspect too - the holidays are coming soon. And from the looks of the convention center, psychics - plus their followers - know a thing or two about shopping.
There were tables of jewelry, crystals and candles. And things much less common, like emu oil, powdered incense that smells like cotton candy and fisheye jasper. The latter is supposed to help one accept responsibility better.
"We all have a spiritual, emotional side to us that needs nurturing," Paruta said. "I love that this gives people an outlet. I love the fact that everyone feels at home here."
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