Ron ‘The Mystic’

“I’ve had a market stall for 14 years. I offer readings to the public. I read palms and tarot cards, it’s very therapeutic just to have someone to talk to. We live in a world where it’s becoming more online and less personable.

I’ve had a lot of life experience so that helps my readings as well.

As a boy, I was very open minded and still am, you know, I was always looking for UFOs in the sky, interested in ghosts. I’m still interested in mysteries and things like that. I like the fact that there’s a bit of mystery in the world – if it was all scientifically explainable, I think it’d be a boring grey sort of world.

People come for various reasons, breakups or people wanting a positive outlook on the future generally. I seem to have a personality that can absorb that and be positive. I listen and empathise. Sometimes it’s lighter, though, you know, young people looking for love.

People do come back to me. I’m quite memorable, I’m quite a colourful character. It’s nice when some people say, “I had a reading with you years ago, Ron, and I’m back for another one”, or, “what you told me came true!” So it’s good to get positive feedback like that.

Years ago the Wizard of Christchurch gave me the idea to be a Wizard as well, so he gave me his blessing on it. He said, “why don’t why don’t you be a character like me, my boy?”, so yeah, I took his advice and it’s been fun. Someone gifted me this staff, that they saw it on a beach and they thought of me. It was very grey looking, but I lacquered it up and yeah, it’s perfect, really, it’s got character. So I built this persona up and I enjoy it. Little kids wave at me. “There’s a wizard!” I’ve made a kids day like that.

I also enjoy speedway and I like karaoke singing. I’m in a karaoke group which is every two weeks. My favourite karaoke song is ‘The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald’ by Gordon Lightfoot; “The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound, And a wave broke over the railing.”

– Ron ‘The Mystic’

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