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Extracted from Sheffield Telegraph on 7th of December 

Tapping into the Spirit

ABOVE the expected scent of incense sticks and sound of mellow pan pipe music is a curious sound - a buzzing, rather like an electric razor.It comes from behind a stand selling books with titles such as  'Free Yourself' and 'Telling the Difference Between Love and Addiction'. Barnsley Metrodome's sports hall has become a forum for healers both spiritual and physical of every persuasion imaginable. There are almost 100 stands.A woman in a wheelchair next to me buys a crystal. The vendor tells her it is for "arthritis and sleeping".I follow the buzzing again. It leads to a woman on a couch below a sign advertising Sue O'Grady Permanent Cosmetics.A woman in a white therapist's gown is holding a tattoo pen. A young family of three are among bemused onlookers.As the therapist approaches the horizontal client, the young wife winces and turns away. Her son asks what the lady is doing. The husband merely watches.
The client on the couch does not flinch as a dark line is etched on her lower eyelid.Being of a squeamish nature myself, I investigate a perspex 'Tardis' with flashing thermometer. It turns out to be an aromatherapy steam tub.In the corner one particular stall is causing a lot of interest. On it photographs of visitors are displayed, each cloaked in a halo of bright pink, orange or red. This, it turns out, is Aura Photography.Customers sit in front of a box-type camera and place each hand on metal finger plates (to pick up the vibration of the soul through a reading of magnetic energy from the acupuncture points). They then receive an analysis of the instant photo for £15, £20 or £25. A computer is used for the better paying customers.I listen in to the diagnoses of three women. Woman one has a lot of "dark around the head" and "fog", says Aura Photographer Joya Sarkar from Co
Durham in a thick foreign accent. She is told to nurture herself. Woman two needs some repair work - her aura is green and dark on the right, red on the left. "White and violet are more the colours we want to get into," explains Joya. Dianne Bentley, from Sheffield, fares better with a large aura showing
all the colours of the spectrum - "quite unusual.""I've seen this on telly but I've never had it done before," says Dianne. "I've never had my fortune told or anything like that. I decided to go for
this because it's not harmful. I did it out of curiosity more than anything. I hoped mine would be a good colour - and I'm glad it's purple because I like purple."Around the hall people are lying on the floor or on couches having hands applied, heads massaged or even lighted candles in their ears. They seem oblivious to the crowds filing past.Therapist Karen Jane, from Barnsley, explains the principles of ear candles.

"Candles are an ancient therapy of the Hopi Indians - the oldest settlement of Indians in America. The candles consist of cotton - they should be flax but flax is hard to get hold of - and are still made to a traditional recipe of herbs."The method is used for loosening ear wax and relieving sinusitis, migraine
and tinnitus, she adds. Smoke travels down the auditory canal and comes back up the candle bringing wax with it. "Sounds disgusting," Karen admits. "You can hear the crackling of the candle burning. It's an unusual sensation but not unpleasant."Angela Johnson is a Zen Tarot reader. The difference between a Zen reader and your average Tarot card reader is that the cards are based on Buddhist
visions and teachings, she explains. A medium who "came" into spiritualism at the age of 13, Angela, from Wakefield, doesn't give people bad news. "I ask the spirit to be positive."Client Cara Mallinson, 30, from Barnsley, has had a Tarot reading previously. "This one was very different. The last one was two years ago and things were different then. I came to the fair because I wanted another reading. It's
answered some questions."I pass a stall with some tempting-looking fruit cake and accept a sample.
This is the famous Linda Kearns Cake packed with natural phyto-oestrogens to help menopausal women. It comes in raisin, tropical, cherry, cranberry and date and walnut varieties - and tastes delicious."It's good for PMT, too," says Andrea Widdowson, from Fosters bakery in Barnsley. "We've had a lot of men trying it because it reduces cholesterol.""And it puts a spring in their step," adds her colleague with a twinkle in her eye."A lot of men send their wives to buy some for them."Reiki, reflexology, crystal therapy, iridology, Tai Chi, Shiatsu, Feng Shui... there are many more unexplored stalls.The fair is a first for Marie Platts, from Sheffield, who has been organising
antiques fairs since 1989. "This has been much harder work," she says. "It's difficult finding vendors because there are many more antique dealers than there are therapists. You have to look around to get the right sort of people.""I'm learning from today myself," she adds. "There are therapies here I've
never heard of - but they've been around for centuries."She has had Indian head massage and Shiatsu in the past. Is she going to try anything new today? She laughs. "I've got far too much to do." She breaks off to collect yet more entrance fees.lAnother fair is being held at the Barnsley Metrodome on March 16 and 17.lPictured, from left, Aurora Treatment specialist Jane McCann with patient
Julie Evans; Zen Tarot reader Angela Johnson; and Aura Photographer Joya Sarkhar, right, with Alison Crossland.