ARLINGTON, Texas – A cool midwinter evening set the stage for a sold-out event located at the Bob Duncan Center in Arlington. Mamba MiRah and her planning coven produced Hexes and Hearts Witch’s Ball on February 12th. Joined with a host of vendors, diviners, and entertainment, the evening was wrapped in atmospheric décor to set the scene.
The interest in the ball gained forward momentum after being announced on Facebook in November. The $70 VIP tickets sold out within a month; more than 400 people were in attendance at the event itself.
Hexes & Hearts Witches Ball logo [courtesy]
In the weeks leading up to the affair, The Wild Hunt spoke to MiRah about how she was breathing life into this soiree. “We do not want this to be just a ‘one and done’ event,” she stated. “I would like to see that Dallas set the standard across the country.” She has ambitions to take the production around the states in specific major cities.
The succession of patrons came prepared to meet the dress code request. As the owner of Hearth Wisdom Store, the largest metaphysical store in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, as well as Betwixt Boutique, MiRah wanted to bring home the point of inclusivity. Guests arrived decked out in everything from top hats to horns, witchy wear to vampire flair, even wings and tails. There was an array of individual styles, backgrounds and personalities represented that evening.
Guests began to line up before 6:00 pm to ensure that they were part of the first 100 attendees to receive a goodie bag. Upon entry, they were met with a plethora of various vendors, decorated spaces, a full stage providing entertainment, as well as a silk aerial frame. Outside, the fire dancers of Solar Rain dazzled the procession of people waiting to be greeted at the front door.
Walking into the grand ballroom, I met Cassie from Salem Supply Company. She was celebrating her first time vending at the ball, though she has been selling her items on Etsy for over a year. She said how exciting it was to be with like-minded people as the town that they reside in is smaller and has a more conservative outlook.
Just a bit further down in the line of vendors was Mod Ministry Merch, whose wares consisted of harness-style wearables, chokers, and more. Kylie Skellington (also the owner of Skellington Curiosities) came from Waco to bring her styles into the mix. “I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone’s outfits,” Skellington said. “I love getting dressed up and seeing other people express themselves through their attire.”
Robert Del Quadro has been running Twisted Candle Company since 2013. His hand-poured works of art gained a lot of attention as the hallways began to fill with shoppers. When asked about his path, he replied, “I’m learning. I’m growing.” He went on to say, “Consigning with Hearth Wisdom Store has helped me experience new things and step out of my box. I’m very comfortable with all the lovely people here.”
The diviner’s room was where I caught up with Roy Rollane, a tarot card reader who has been practicing for over 10 years. He has also expanded his repertoire to pendulums and spirit boards. Describing himself as a “roamer,” Roy expressed his excitement that circled mostly around meeting and making connections with the community.
In addition to these vendors, there was a raffle for items donated by sponsors and vendors, held to support The Family Place, which provides services to survivors of domestic violence. The Ball’s website noted that it was important to the organizers for the ball to give back to its local community.
A performer at the Hexes and Hearts Ball in Arlington, TX, in February 2022 [Azure West]
As the evening rolled on, the entertainment schedule began to do the same. “The Secret Garden” was home to Katsuk’s whimsical acoustic set. The soft lighting and lush atmosphere provided a cozy backdrop to his performance as well as “The Dueling Belly Dancers.” In addition, there were multiple areas for photo opportunities.
In the main ballroom, the crowd cheered on burlesque performers, aerial acrobatics, and the haunting melodies of Marquis of Vaudeville. The aromatic senses delighted upon entering the ritual room, where visitors released energies that no longer served them, and then received a personalized consecrated oil.
The raffles and best dressed were announced, and before long the magical evening would come to a close. However, it won’t be too long before another grandiose evening is to be had. The Thinning of the Veil Ball is slated to take place the first weekend of October.
“We were really pleased with how the ball turned out.” MiRah stated. “We had a really robust and diverse planning coven to make sure we were providing a broad representation of the different tail ends of the diversity of our community and showcasing our local business owners and crafters.”
Turning the attention to the future event, the ringleader of the affairs shared, “We want to make sure that every event is unique, not a repeat of the previous event. You might notice that there is a thematic overlaps to this.” Going on to explain how the energy of the “Hexes and Hearts” ball falling on Valentine’s Day Weekend, her voice took on an overtone of love and passion. “Thinning of the Veil” will focus more on the “ethereal spirit aspect” of the season, and will be a masquerade ball.
“It is our intent to take this Ball to other cities,” said MiRah, “and as we take this Ball to other cities at different times of the year that we will leverage season that we are in and a theme for each city so that we can explore different types of entertainment, different types of artistry and performances and music and bands.”
The Wild Hunt is not responsible for links to external content.
To join a conversation on this post:
Visit our The Wild Hunt subreddit! Point your favorite browser to https://www.reddit.com/r/The_Wild_Hunt_News/, then click “JOIN”. Make sure to click the bell, too, to be notified of new articles posted to our subreddit.