Last Wednesday afternoon, Diane Dalpe and Daphne Weld Nichols stood at the foot of the Green Monster and waved their smudge sticks. After this they burned long braids of sweet grass. For a grand finale, they placed a photograph of Babe Ruth in a bowl of broken glass, cut the end off a red candle, and dripped wax over the Babe’s image. " The reversal of the curse, " says Dalpe, " took effect at that moment. "

And Dalpe should know — toward the end of the ritual, she and Weld Nicols heard as much from the Bambino himself. " My partner Daphne was channeling the whole time, " she says, " and we had goose bumps. Once we flipped the candle, we got a message that Babe Ruth wanted to release the Sox. "

Long-suffering Sox fans might be inclined to take such claims with a bucket of salt, but these local psychics ( " Well-known local psychics " ) have had some rather eerie successes in the past. Last year, before a Yankees-Sox series, the two went on the Inside Track radio show and cast a spell on Roger Clemens. " We took his picture, put it in a bowl of broken glass, and heated the bowl, " Dalpe says. " Then we made a magic powder, sprinkled that, and chanted. We asked for whatever it took to get him off the mound — diarrhea, something not too threatening. " And? " Sure enough, they took him out in the second inning — his arm was bothering him or something. The Red Sox won that night. "

Though Dalpe admits to knowing very little about baseball, she is confident that her efforts will have a profound effect on the Sox’ fortunes. " I really think the Red Sox are going to pull it out this year. I do think they will win the World Series, and I like to think that we will have played a part in that. " And if they don’t? " I won’t feel personally responsible if they fail, " Dalpe says. " We’re just trying to create an atmosphere where positive things can happen. "

Well, so far it seems to be working. Despite a couple of " bumps " since Dalpe and Weld Nichols cast their spell (the Sox got walloped twice in a row by Anaheim), the team’s fortunes have indeed picked up somewhat — at press time they had won four straight. " I think it’s starting, " says Dalpe. " They will continue to win over the next two months and the Yankees will go down. "

For more information go to www.Tellafortune.com.

Issue Date: August 9 - 16, 2001