Mentalist, Mind Reader, and Tarot Reader for Party | Entertainment for Teens and Adults in CT, MA, RI, NH
Mentalism and mind-reading experiences are a subset of strolling magic, where our resident mentalist Marissa works the crowd to unlock secret psychic connections.
Mentalism packages are suitable for teens and adults, as some younger children might find “mind reading” (which is truly just entertainment) too scary. That said, Marissa works hard to make sure that all of her interactions leave guests feeling positively surprised, respected, and magically delighted.
We would describe mentalism and mind reading with Marissa as a mix of witty banter, psychology, and fortune-telling that will leave guests wondering how she did it.
It’s the right magical experience for your party if:
- you’re looking for entertainment for teens and adults
- you want strolling magic, not a magic show
- you’re interested in objects like crystals, essential oils, tarot, or playing cards
- your event is high-end and you really want to impress guests
FAQ: Mentalism, Mind Reading, and Tarot Reading for Party
What sort of magic tricks does mentalism come with?
Marissa uses objects we typically associate with mystical arts or wellness (herbs, crystals, tarot, essential oils, jewelry) to “read guests’ minds”. The interactions guests will have with her are very chatty (talking about the guests’ interests, jobs, friendships) and have an mysterious but positive and up-beat feeling.
Does she really read minds? Is this something religious or scary?
Don’t worry: everything Marissa does involves psychology plus some clever little items.
Guests will leave smiling and curious about their interactions with her. Marissa makes it a point to tell guests what she is doing involves psychology, not anything supernatural, religious, or otherworldly.
What is the difference between mentalism and tarot reading for a party?
With her mentalism packages, Marissa will stroll up to guests at your party and use objects like playing cards, crystals, or essential oils to form a psychic connection. It’s similar to close-up magic.
If you add tarot reading for a party to your package (or do JUST tarot reading with no mentalism), Marissa will sit at a table and allow guests to approach her. She’ll then read the cards based on their question, but it’s more of a conversation than a magic act.
Who is coming to my party?
Marissa is a long-time event entertainer and actually began her career in the industry as a body painter, special FX makeup artist, and face painter all the way back in 2011. What she loves most about working at events is interacting with guests, and learned mentalism in 2021 in order to find new and creative ways to connect with people at work.
Can the mentalist come in a costume?
Marissa does not come in a costume or anything that would make her seem like a ‘character’. Mentalism relies on an authentic connection between the subject (your party guests) and the reader (Marissa), and anything that could block that connection (like a fake stage name, costume, or trying to trick anyone) weakens the guest experience.
Instead, Marissa will come in all-black street clothes (which blend in everywhere) like a dress, leggings, t-shirt, collared shirt, and/or shorts.
Can we have mentalism at a kids’ party?
Mentalism is best for tweens, teens, and adults since young children may not understand the concept of being able to “read” body language or facial expression.
At an event with mixed age, Marissa brings a single “card trick” to do with small children so they don’t feel left out, but mentalism is NOT a children’s entertainment package.
Nothing Marissa does is scary, but to err on the side of safety, she won’t practice mentalism on children under the age of 12. (We love kids and truly do not want them thinking adults can read their minds, or that they met a real ‘witch’, or anything else that their imaginations might tell them.)
What do I need to set up?
Nothing! Since this is strolling magic, Marissa will have everything she needs with her.
How much do the mentalism packages cost?
We have several options for different budgets, from 1 hour strolling sets to multi-hour events with mentalism, tarot reading, palm reading, and henna tattoos.
Ask for a quote and we’ll send you different options!
What towns do you service?
Marissa is from West Hartford, Connecticut and services all of New England including Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine.
Mentalism vs Tarot and Palm Reading
Mentalism involves walking up to people and asking to show them something.
Tarot and palm reading involve sitting down and waiting for people to come up to you and share a question.
Mentalism is more similar to magic: displays of talent are done up-close in small groups to impress, delight, and trick.
Tarot and palm reading are more like conversations: they’re done far away from other people, and involve no “ah-ha” moments, surprises, or big reveals.
Guests react to mentalism by dropping their jaw, laughing, or trying to guess “how did you do that”.
Guests react to tarot and palm readings by listening, asking questions, and reflecting on their feelings.
Add henna to any palm or tarot reading package
How to Book a Tarot Reader for a Party in CT, MA, RI, NH
Hiring a mentalist or tarot reader for a party is a relatively straight-forward process as far as contacting us, picking a package, and receiving an invoice.
But there are 3 things we’ve seen clients struggle with, so we want to make sure you’re prepared for a seamless (and magical) experience!
1. Make sure mentalism and tarot reading are right for your group
Mentalism and tarot aren’t scary, but we cannot stress enough that they are not for kids! Adults have concepts like “metaphors”, “psychology”, and “magic shows”. Kids do not! We truly love working with children (we’re New England’s largest family entertainment company) and we will not read tarot or perform mentalism for children because we do not want to scare them, even if a parent insists.
Meanwhile, most adults react by dropping their jaw, laughing out loud, and wanting to share with friends.
It’s a unique experience for ages 16+, but please remember that kids can’t tell fact from fiction and need a more gentle magical experience.
2a. Prepare your space for tarot reading
A tarot reading station will need 1 table and 2 chairs. This area should be in a climate-controlled environment (or in shade) and far away from any loud sounds or huge crowds.
If you’re planning an outdoor event past dusk, we will also need shade.
2b. Prepare your space for mentalism
If you’re booking strolling mentalism, our mentalists will wander though the crowd without needing much of anything. Just let them know where the bathrooms are and if there’s an area they can leave things like coats, waterbottles, or snacks (depending on the length of the event).
3. Set the vibe
Because we want to create an immersive experience for adults, please do not refer to any mentalism as “magic”, a “magic show”, or a “magician”. Our goal is to suspend the beliefs of your guests, and the best way to do that is to use words like “mentalist” or “tarot reader”, which have different connotations.
Likewise, we suggest you don’t set up the space or area with any classic tropes of magic (top hats, bunnies, stages, circuses) since we don’t want to elude to gimmicks or performances–but real, authentic connections.
It might seem a small detail when you hire a palm reader for a party, but little details can make a huge difference!
Marissa (right) began her career in event entertainment as a face and body painter.
An Interview with Marissa: CT, MA, RI, NH Mentalist and Tarot Reader
Where did you learn tarot?
I actually was hesitant to learn it at first. I had a college roommate who read tarot cards for fun, but her spin on it was really hippie-feeling and I didn’t get it at first. Eventually she did a few readings on me and I realized how insightful some of them were. I love to journal so she suggested I use the cards she pulled as journaling prompts, and it all clicked!
Can you really read minds?
Some people will say yes, but I believe that I’m just more sensitive to imperceivable communication than most people. So to me “mind reading” is something intrusive and supernatural, where as I believe what I’m doing is being acutely attuned to their body language, facial expressions, breathing, tone of voice, and context in the world. I don’t
Are you an actress?
Nope–my background is actually in fine art and design, and I started working at parties as a face and body painter. I’ve traveled and worked extensively as an artist, which is really my career, but mentalism has a special place in my heart. I don’t believe an actor or actress could simply act their way into being a tarot reader for party, I think it’s something you have to be passionate about and connect with outside of work.
Why would someone want to hire a tarot reader for a party?
It’s a really really unique experience that sticks with guests for years or decades. Guests have shared with me other tarot or palm readings they’ve had done and they’ve always made such a huge impact, that I think it’s a great treat for guests but also an amazing way to have your event remembered.