I went to Drag-Con Uk!!! (And it was Awesome!!!!)
If you read my previous blog-post on Astro-Cartography, you’ll have noted that London - on my Jupiter-line - is a city full of promise, opportunity and good times for me. So it was absolutely the perfect setting for my first Drag Con! Not only was London the perfect setting, the first Full Moon of 2023 - a Full Moon in the comforting sign of Cancer created an other-worldly, loving energy under which to meet my extended “chosen-family”.
I am FAN of all the foreign franchises of RuPaul’s Drag Race so I had the most FANTASTIC time! I landed at London-Heathrow early Friday morning, January 6 and got myself to the venue, the smashingly innovative ExCel London in time for the Queen’s Walk at 10:30 AM. (Click here to see my somewhat fuzzy video of the Queen’s Walk at DragCon UK 2023). I was still lugging my bags as I couldn’t check into my hotel yet, just before the Queen’s Walk began, I ducked into a restroom and got myself up into a reasonable “quick drag” so that I didn’t look like a slob who’d just gotten off an airplane. (Guess, what? I still looked like a slob just off an plane).
My Quick-Drag look for Day 1 of DragCon UK
Can you tell I just landed and have not slept?!! I honestly felt iconic for getting up into drag in the public restroom at the ExCel convention center. I wouldn’t want my DragCon experience to start any other way!
Then! - I marched straight over to meet my gorgeously delicious guardian-angel-of-life Ms. Arantxa Castilla-La Mancha of Drag Race España (yes, the Spanish Hannah Montana herself right there on my right) and her Iconic side-kick, Hugaceo Crujiente (left), to give Arantxa a gift I’ve been keeping for her for over a year.
Ok - a quick aside here: I have been obsessed with Arantxa since seeing her on the Season 1 of Drag Race España in the Summer of 2021. She has this raw style of expression as if she is “subtly” a gutter-punk hipster of drag parading around in true renegade style as a blonde childhood icon as and this persona has a special kinship for me and is why I have loved her so much. (And I stalked her Spotify account and we like the same music).
Second aside - Hugaceo Crujiente - known for saying ➡️ “y yo soy concepto drag diferente” - has the most genuinely high-fashion, haute couture drag I have ever seen and should be credited as being on the short-list of most elevated and revolutionary drag artists in the World.
-But Arantxa Castilla-La Mancha is still my true angel of life for being the star of a very long fantastically magickal tale I may share some other time.
I had Friday at Drag Con to myself to run around meeting as many stunning drag queens as I could ~ I met Drag Sethlas from the Canary Islands and also Kam Hugh and Arseniek from Paris whom I’ve followed for years now. I wanted to make sure I was making a good impression, so I took a quick island to the lounge for a tarot card spread.
My RuPaul’s Drag Race Tarot Cards ~ In-person readings available DragCon L.A.!!!
Ok - I was definitely playing “The Fool” falling all over Arantxa and gushing over every drag queen I met, but as the Magician card suggests - I was not without some tricks up my sleeve. In this spread I have Ben de le Creme and Kim Chi in the mini-challenge and main challenge positions, suggesting that confidence was my growing edge - confidence to trust my snarky, sarcastic super-savvy self and confidence that it’s ok to be humble because my artistry and genuine love for the art is shining through. In the end, I did come to trust my discernment on how to show up in the best way possible.
Meanwhile, RuPaul was DJing some sickening tunes!
HANNAH’S GOTH HAUS IN DA HOUSE!
On Saturday & Sunday, I teamed up with my friend Hannah Chusid who is the artist behind the infamous drag fan art of HannahsGothHaus.com.
Together, I think we made DragCon her-story by personally meeting the most number of drag queens of anybody ever at any Drag Con!
(see my photo-gallery at the end!)
All the queens at Drag Con are HUGE fans of Hannah’s art, so thanks to her we got to skip a lot of the lines. I did my best to be handy with my camera!
From Left to Right ➡️
Crystal from Drag Race UK, Season 1 gushing over a print Hannah gave her .
Hannah having a heart-to-heart with Angeria Paris VanMichaels, fan favorite of RuPaul’s Drag Race USA, Season 14.
A touching moment with Carmen Farala, Winner of Drag Race España, Season 1, as she reads Hannah’s note to her on the back of a print of her.
Meeting Paloma, Winner of Drag Race France, Season 1.
Drag is most certainly a “spectator-sport”! The crowd at DragCon was brewing with cutting edge looks which many times were as exciting to see as all the Drag Race girls!
The one on the right in blue is drag clothing designer, Morgan Wells who showed up to every day of Drag Con in a jaw-dropping look and yet was so charming, humble and sweet to talk to. I didn’t catch the names of the two queens on the left, but their looks made an impression!
WIGSSSSS!!!!!!
One super-fun surprise was meeting my wig-designers!! I buy almost all of my wigs from UK wig designers because…well, they charge a lot less for really great designs!
On the left is David Ludford, hubby to UK Drag Race winner, The Vivienne. His company Drag.Helmet.Wigs has made all my iconic “big ‘80’s hair” wigs that I am known for and I love them sooo much. David and I have messagd back & forth a bunch over the past few years and it was amazing to finally meet him in person.
On the right is Polished Wigs and it’s a “Polished Wig” that I’m wearing! Apparently I was one of their first customers once they launched their Instagram and online store. I love my “Polished Wig” so much - it goes with me everywhere!!!
There were so many special moments from DragCon, it was honestly the most fun I’ve ever had in my life and the powerful energy of the Full Moon in Cancer that weekend really made it feel magickal, special and like I truly was with family.
Highlights:
Orion Story
Hannah and I were invited to lunch with Orion Story and their friend, Kobie - Orion’s energy is so chill and soothing, I just adored spending time with Orion and interpreting their astrology chart for them.
Cheddar Gorgeous
I am now 1000% convinced that Cheddar Gorgeous is indeed an alien-being! Cheddar’s energy is absolute magick! I wanted to stay with them in their space for the rest of the day - it really felt like being on mushrooms being around Cheddar. They put their arm around me and I kind of melted into the ground Cheddar Gorgeous spoke highly of their time visiting Boston and meeting local Boston queens.
Icesis Couture
I will never forget the radiant look on Icesis’s face when they got to finally meet Hannah! They were so happy and excited it was truly endearing!
Trinity the Tuck
Trinity remembered meeting me at a meet & greet at EGO in Providence and it really touched my heart. For such a super-star Trinity is humble, genuine, kind and sincerely supportive of her fans. A true class-act!
Carmen Farala
OMG she is the gorgeous one!!! Yet so very kind and humble and gentle-spirited and sincere it is moving to be around her. She purrs like a kitten!
Dakota Schiffer
IRL she is the most stunningly beautiful creature on Earth.
Tayce
We didn’t have a chance to visit Tayce’s booth, but I wanted to snap some photos for my drag-race-fan-friend, Alex, back in Providence. While Tayce was visiting Lawrence Cheney’s TV-set DragCon booth I started snapping photos of them from afar. They turned and walked towards me, got up close to me and made a ridiculously silly expression right in my face - it was so fun! I doubled-over laughing.
Jaida Essence Hall
She is in my top favorite queens of all time and I have a special connection to her from meeting her in Boston last June, right before I went to England for my Avalon voyage. I saw her walking by. I just said out loud (but not super-loudly) Jaida! in an exclamation of adoration and she turned around and waved to me and blew me a kiss.
Jaide Essence Hall in the Queens Walk at DragCon UK 2023
Daya Betty
I didn’t make it to her booth either but I was standing near it at one point and I could see in. Daya Betty had an enormous meet & greet line the whole time, yet as I glanced into her booth, she was sitting on her sofa with a young girl no more than 11-years old or so and she and the girl were just casually talking, fully engaged, as if this girl where explaining all the ins & outs of her complicated love-life to Daya and Daya, like a wise older sister, was giving her advice. Let the line wait! This little girl needed her moment with her queen so she could clear her head! I was charmed.
Daya Betty in the RuPaul’s DragConUK 2023 Queen’s Walk
There were so many little moments with so many wonderful queens I have long-time loved from afar. It was a blessing to be there and truly luck was on my side!
Here are some more of my photos!
