New Orleans - Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo

I recently went on a trip to New Orleans with some close friends and family. It was my first visit to this city, known as one of the most haunted cities in America. The ambiance was exactly how people have described it. Mardi Gras madness, soulful music, Bohemian artists and storytellers recounting legends of pirates, murderers and ghosts.

We stayed at the Ambassador located on Tchoupitoulas Street, just blocks away from the French Quarter. Three 19th-century warehouses were renovated to create this beautiful historic hotel. Everything was within walking distance so, needless to say, I got my excercise in on that trip!
Unfortunately, just like Texas, the weather was hot and humid. Which means a lot of sweating... I hate sweating. Luckily in NOLA, you can carry a "drink" around where ever you go. And by "drink" I mean the fun adult beverages. There was definitely not a shortage of those on the infamous Bourbon St.
My adventure was full of activities. The first, of which, was to "experience" Bourbon St. We made a pit stop at Pat O'Briens to eat and fuel up for the night. There was Shrimp Rémoulade, Gumbo, Red Beans and Rice, and Crawfish Etouffée all around. Not to mention, Crown and Coke, some beer and their famous Pat O'Brien's Hurricane.

As we ate, we had a chance to view some of the characters on the strip. Guys dressed in skeleton and devil costumes, pirate outfits taking pictures with any tourists that were willing to give good tips. When they had a moment to themselves the flasks came out and opened. We all shook our heads. For some reason, it was no shock at all to see these guys drinking their spirits out in public.

Once dinner was over, we proceeded with our night out on the town... drinks in hand. As the night grew nearer the neon signs started lighting up. The ladies of the evening were taking their positions along side their escorts with muscle trying to lure anyone they could into their haven. Promises of free admission and happy hour pricing were called out left and right.

We stopped at one little bar that had the sounds of Fleetwood Mac calling to us. A live band was doing a great job portraying the popular 70's band. So we sat, ordered drinks, and took a moment to soak everything in.
After a couple of sets we left the bar and ventured out into the sea of people on the street. Walking up and down, checking out the souvenir shops and finding any mementos we might want to purchase. They had alligator heads, Voodoo dolls, cajun cookbooks, beignet mixes... all of it screaming, "New Orleans". One shop we saw was a must, Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo. How could we NOT go in?

Marie Laveau was a Louisiana Creole practitioner of Voodou (Voodoo) renowned in New Orleans. She aqcuired the title of Voodoo Queen from her magical career.
The store was filled with charms, mojo bags, candles, jewelry, spell kits and of course, voodoo dolls. In the back there was an open doorway with beads hanging down from the frame. Behind the beads was a small room used for readings of any patron willing to pay a small fee.
I couldn't resist, I had never had a reading before. I paid the fee and waited my turn.
To bide my time, I started reading some of the historical articles that were displayed. I skimmed over book titles and the various charms, watched customers come and go. I peered in to the reading room and noticed the woman ahead of me was crying and grabbing for tissues. This was a little upsetting but also gave me hope that maybe this reader was legit.
A few moments later the woman and her daughter stood up and walked out of the room, thanking the lady for everything. It was my turn.
I stepped into a cozy room no bigger than a broom closet. I paid an extra fee to have my boyfriend, George, come in with me. I wanted someone else to witness the account. I took my seat across from my reader, an elderly woman with a heavy European accent. She started asking my name and my birthdate, which is ususally standard procedure. She had a stack of Tarot cards in her hands and she was shuffling and straightening them. Then I was asked to cut the deck a few times. She them scooped us the piles and spread the cards across the table. I was then asked to place both hands on top so the cards could receive my energy. Then I was asked to pick out a certain amount of cards. I started pulling random cards from the stack. She proceeded to flip the cards over one by one. The first she mentioned involved changes at work, a promotion maybe. I thought, isn't this what all psychics and readers say. I just smiled and said, "That would be nice."
The next few cards, however, changed my opinion on the experience. She flipped a card over and mentioned that I lost someone in my life, a female. Last year my best buddy, Koda Kai, passed away. She was a beautiful Siberian Husky who was my "kid". The next card was flipped and the lady said that this female was still watching over and protecting me. I was blown away, but yet already knew this was true. I started crying. My Kai was still watching over me like she did when she was alive. It was a very comforting feeling to have a confirmation on what I had already been feeling.
The next set of cards was also an affirmation on what I was going through in life. I was told, by the cards, that I had a psychic vampire in my life that was draining my energy from me. This, too, was true. The psychic told me I needed to get out of the situation I was in as soon as possible. She then looked at George and told him he needed to get me out fast. He already knew what she was talking about and said he was working on it. Which brought up the next card. She asked if we were looking in to getting a home together, that was also true.
Every card she turned over she hit the nail right on the head. It was astonishing that these cards were right on the money with what was going on in my life and even what I had planned for the future.
The psychic was then kind enough to let George shuffle the cards and have a small reading. Normally he would have had to pay extra for that. So, he then shuffled and the cut the deck as I had done. He picked out a few cards of his own and she began to describe his situation. She said that he can finally let go of something he's been hanging on to. The dust is finally going to settle. He knew exactly what she was referring to at that moment. She then told him his job would be getting better and he would be joining a partnership soon. That interpretation is still in question, is it work related or personal? Only time will tell.
My overall, first time, experience with tarot card ready was amazing. I'm glad I stopped in at the infamous Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo. Thank you New Orleans, it's an experience I will never forget.