‘Lipstick mystic’ launches memoir on Halloween, psychic dinner in Surrey
Published 7:55 pm Monday, October 26, 2026
A psychic dinner in Surrey will celebrate a debut memoir by Val McDowall, local author, artist, psychic medium and self-described “lipstick mystic.”
Val McDowall launches The Queen of Wands: Adventures of a Modern Mystic, Magical Memoirs on Oct. 31, days before a “Tandoori & Tarot” dinner event for 24 on Thursday, Nov. 5 at Bandra Café in Newton.
A Surrey resident since 2013, McDowall painted the colourful, cartoonish 27-foot mural at the restaurant, off Scott Road at Strawberry Hill Shopping Centre, and blogged about it on valmcdowall.com.
McDowall says the dinner promises “an unforgettable blend of fine dining, local art and live intuitive tarot readings, offering the community an intimate glimpse into the world explored” in The Queen of Wands. Tickets are $53.52 on eventbrite.ca.
In 378 pages, the book chronicles “my two-decade transformation from a corporate professional to a psychic medium following my emigration from Scotland to Canada” two decades ago.
The Queen of Wands is McDowall’s “alter-ego, my magical mirror, and the archetype that best captures the energy behind this memoir,” she says.
“If you already know me, you’ll probably recognize her straight away — the long dark hair, the attention-grabbing outfit, the sexy shoes, the cocktail, and of course the two black cats. She’s not a character I invented; she’s an amplification of the woman I’ve always been.”
The book has her stepping out of the broom closet, so to speak.
“I’m a lipstick mystic,” says McDowall, creator of The Witches Familiar tarot and oracle decks. “I love magic, energy and deep mediumship, but I also love glamour, high fashion, fine wine, and excellent dining. Serious spirituality doesn’t require agonizing self-denial. It’s about the thrill of exploring a colourful, hidden world that is so often misunderstood and misrepresented. Magic isn’t rare — noticing it is.”