WORDS AND IMAGES : Bart’s Books to Conjure Up Psychic Faire : Ojai store’s annual event will offer free lectures and reasonably priced readings.

We celebrate our nation’s 217th birthday this weekend. Congress declared our independence on Thursday, July 4, 1776, in the city of Philadelphia and 56 men had the courage to sign that “Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America.”

I wonder if there were soothsayers, fortunetellers or readers of animal entrails who predicted disaster or success based on the dates the founding fathers chose to declare independence? Well, there is an abundance of such folk now who claim they can whistle up the past and describe the future.

You’ll find them at the annual Ojai Psychic Faire at Bart’s Books from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. According to organizer Joan Wysong, practitioners of Tarot, numerology, palmistry, astrology, graphology and channeling from Ojai, Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles will offer free lectures and reasonably priced readings. There is no charge to join the festivities and hear the talks and demonstrations on everything from I Ching to psychometry, the Kabala to crystals.

A visit to Bart’s, a unique, used-book store located at 302 W. Matilija St., Ojai is an adventure in itself. Call 646-8279 for details.

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And to conjure up the spirit of equal time, consider subscribing to the Skeptical Inquirer quarterly magazine, published by the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, P.O. Box 703, Buffalo, N.Y. Or call them at (800) 634-1610.

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Marsha Landreth of Calabasas will read from and sign her first novel “Holiday Murders” at 1 p.m. Saturday at Mysteries to Die For, 2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks.

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Ventura County writers and publishers are prolific producers of a variety of books. Summer is a terrific time to hunt up titles by your neighbors and settle down on the patio, beach, lawn or wherever for a good read.

Harper/Collins has just published “When Food is Your Best Friend & Worst Enemy” and “Surrendering Hunger” by Jan Johnson. The book is written from a Christian perspective to help people recover from eating disorders.

Western historian David Lavender’s tale of the Nez Perce tragedy “Let Me Be Free” is available now in a trade paper edition.

Dispelling the myths surrounding the life of Sheriff Wyatt Earp is the goal of retired criminal defense lawyer Richard Erwin. After years of painstaking research he wrote “The Truth About Wyatt Earp” recently published by The O.K. Press, P.O. Box 203, Carpinteria, 93014.

Joline Godfrey’s “Our Wildest Dreams” is an entertaining, mind-stretching book about how women entrepreneurs can make money, have fun and do good works.

For children, and the dreamer in all of us, may I recommend the beautifully illustrated “The Ship that Sailed to Mars,” William Timlin’s 70-year-old science fiction tale republished by Vivi Wagner of StoneWall Publications.

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According to the Ventura County and Coast Almanac, “On July 7, 1911, some prominent citizens objected to film producer Gaston Melies’ use of dilapidated Santa Paula buildings in his movies.”