Sunday, December 18, 2005

Dan McAvoy rapped on the door of his twelve-year-old daughter's bedroom.  “It's almost time for church.  You about ready?”

From within the room came the curt reply, “I'm not going.”

“Not going?  What's the matter, Honey?  Don't you feel well?”

“I feel fine.  Just not going to church anymore.”

“What?  Ever?  We've been going to church together for years.  Now a week before Christmas you decide you're never going again?  What happened?”

“I don't like the Church,” she replied.  “I don't like what they did.  Christmas is just one of the holidays they stole.”

“Huh?”

“It used to be the winter celebration of Saturnalia,” she informed him, “the birthday of the unconquered sun.  Holly and ivy and mistletoe and even the Christmas tree were all symbols of fertility.”

“You've been talking to Aunt Debbie again, haven't you?” Dan surmised.  “She's been filling your head with her pagan beliefs this time.”

Dan waited for confirmation that he didn't really need.  His sister was constantly influencing Katherina who seemed fascinated by her only aunt.  The fortune telling, palm reading, crystal ball mysticism—the whole nine yards.

“We'll talk about this later, Kat, because I have to go.  You don't have to come.”

Dan went alone to church.  Later he decided to confront his sister rather than argue with his daughter.  “I wish you wouldn't push your religious beliefs on my daughter,” he said over the phone.

“She was asking about Christmas traditions,” Debbie countered, “I just told her where some of them came from.”

“Yeah, well she's decided she's not going to church anymore.”

“Oh.”

“I don't think you realize how much of an impression you make on her.  The other day I made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner only to find out that she's suddenly a vegetarian.  I asked her why and she just looked at me and said, "Killing is wrong."  She ate her pasta without sauce because she didn't want anything to do with the "murdered cow" as she put it.”

“Hmmm.”

Dan continued, his agitation rising, “I don't know how to deal with this stuff coming out of the blue.  And her mood swings lately; it's like she's on an emotional roller coaster.  She used to talk all the time; she was such an inquisitive kid; now I can't get two words out of her except in a fight and I think you're partly to blame.”

“She's going through puberty, you know,” his sister replied.

“Is that it?” Dan asked.

“Yeah.  What do you think that growth spurt a couple of years ago was?  She shot up six inches.  That was the beginning of it.  She's had her first period, you know.”

Shocked at this news, Dan responded, “She has?  She never said anything to me.”

“Of course not; you're a man.  She's not comfortable talking about her body with you.”

“But I'm her father,” Dan replied, confused.

“You're a man.”

Dan saw his sister's point.  Since his wife's death a decade ago he'd been bringing Katherina up alone and although he considered himself to be doing a good job, he realized that he could not fill her mother's role.  He did not approve of many of his sister's beliefs but he knew his daughter needed a maternal figure in her life.  He did not know about the coven.

“Is our initiate going to be ready?” the voice of the High Priestess crackled over the phone.

“Yes,” Debbie answered, “On her thirteenth birthday I'll bring her to join the coven.  January thirteenth; it's a Friday.”

“She'll be our thirteenth member.  She completes the coven.  Do you know what that means?”

“Our magic will be more powerful.”

“Precisely.  Also, by tapping into the energy of her currently raging hormones we'll be able to accomplish some truly amazing things.”

“I can't wait.  I'm sure Kat will be thrilled to join our group.”

“Friday, January 13.  I'll tell everyone.  Blessed be.”

“Blessed be.”

Sunday, December 25, 2005

Christmas morning Dan went alone again to church.  Afterwards he tried to hide his displeasure when Katherina opened her present from Aunt Debbie.  Tarot cards.  He hadn't been pleased with last year's Ouija board either.  Katherina, of course, was unable to hide her excitement.  “Will you show me how to use them, Auntie?”

“Sure.  I'll do a reading for you in your room.  No boys allowed,” she added with a sidelong glance at her brother.

Dan forced himself to smile.

“I'm going to teach you a card layout called the Celtic Cross Spread.  With a little practice you'll find it easy to remember.  It consists of a small cross surrounded by a large cross and a pillar.  The first thing we do is mix the cards up real good.”

Debbie shuffled and restacked the cards.  Drawing one, she continued, “This card covers you and it goes in the center of our spread.” She placed the Eight of Cups on the bed.  “See the man walking away?  He represents you leaving the past behind.  This probably refers to your childhood as you mature into a woman.”

Debbie drew another card.  “This second card crosses you.  It goes sideways on top of the first card to form the small cross.  This card holds the key to what's bothering you.  Don't get scared now.” Upon the Eight of Cups she placed the thirteenth card of the Major Arcana—the Death card.

Kat's eyes opened real wide.  Debbie quickly explained, “The Death card almost never represents physical death.  What it stands for is drastic, inevitable change.  I think for you this card signifies your maturity and the fact that changes you're going through—drastic, inevitable changes—have you a bit nervous.  Am I right?”

Katherina nodded her head and allowed a nervous titter to escape.

“Ok,” Debbie continued, “This third card is beneath you and goes down here below the other two.  It represents your subconscious thoughts.”

Once again Katherina's eyes opened wide as she beheld the image of the heart pierced by three swords.

“As you may have guessed,” Debbie said, “this card has to do with grief.  Because it follows the Death card, I think it represents the loss of your mother early in your childhood.  Now notice that it's upside down.  That's called a reversed card and what that means is that its significance is subdued.  In this case, the reversal means that the loss is in your past.  The pain lingers on, but the separation is over.  This has to be about your mother.”

Kat was visibly shaken by the appearance of this card but indicated that she wanted to continue with the reading.

“This fourth card is behind you and represents your past.  The King of Wands.  Often kings and queens represent actual people in your life.  This is probably your dad as a symbol of the security of your childhood.”

She drew another card from the deck.  “Your fifth card crowns you which means it stands for your conscious thoughts.  It also works with the tenth card to predict the outcome.  Often it's indicative of what you want to happen.  The Seven of Cups—the Confusion card.  You are being driven more by your emotions than by your rational thoughts.  Is that a fair assessment?”

“Yep, I'm confused all right,” Katherina admitted.

“You also have a ton of energy but it's scattered and you need to focus it.”  Debbie drew forth another card.  “This card is before you.  It completes the large cross and represents your immediate future.  Look at that—the Queen of Cups.  Keywords associated with her include mysticism, prophesy, divination and counseling.  Do you know anybody like that?”

“You!  That must be you!” Kat responded.

“Probably!” her aunt agreed.  “That explains your father being behind you.  Where he used to be able to solve all your problems, you now find yourself better able to relate to a female such as myself.  Now we begin on the pillar.  This seventh card represents you as you see yourself.  The Four of Cups.  An awful lot of cups in your reading.  I'll explain that when we're done.  The Four is a loneliness card.  Do you see yourself as isolated and alone?”

“Most of the time I do,” Katherina admitted.  “I feel like nobody understands me.”

“A lot of young people feel that way,” Debbie assured her.  “The next card goes above that one and represents you as other people see you.  The Five of Cups.  Like the Three of Swords, this card signifies loss.  Your father and I are aware, perhaps even more than you are, how the loss of your mother affects you, especially now as you face the challenges of womanhood.  But the Five shows us that the loss isn't total.  See the two cups that have not fallen over?  They represent people who are still here in your life.”

Drawing another card, Debbie continued, “We're almost done.  The ninth card stands for your hopes and fears and goes above the other two in the pillar.” She laid down the third card of the Major Arcana, the Empress.  “Hmmmm.  This one's tricky.  It's a mother figure that could represent your mom and tie in with your sense of loss.  It may represent me as a sort of surrogate or it may represent you in your passage from one stage of growth to another.  I just don't know what this particular card in this particular position means for you.  But she's a powerful woman, the Empress.”

Drawing the final card, she went on, “This tenth and final card is meant to give us the possible outcome and it crowns the pillar.  The Wheel of Fortune, card of Fate and Destiny.  It usually represents a change for the better.  It could pertain to your journey to adulthood.  I'm sorry I don't have something more definite to tell you, but it's a lucky card to get, at least.  Coupled with the Seven of Cups in position five, it seems to be saying that your confusion may be the result of knowing that your future has more to do with destiny than with your own control over events.  The abundance of cups shows a very emotionally charged reading.  Overall your reading shows a confused person with a deep sense of loss caught between the past and the future.  Between your father and I.  Remember your first card?  This is your journey.  It's for you and you alone to take, but remember that we're here for you and there's hope.”

Kat stared at the array of cards on the bed.

“Hey,” Debbie said, “For your birthday I'll show you the significance of your birth numbers.  Then I'll take you to meet a group of my friends and we'll make some magic.  Would you like that?”

“Oh, yes, Auntie, I would like that very much!”

Friday, January 13, 2006

“Happy Birthday!  How is my favorite Capricorn today?  Are you ready to learn about your personal numbers?”

“Hi, Auntie!  Yes, I sure am!”

“You know, a lot of people think thirteen is an unlucky number but it's not.  It's a powerful number, though, and you have to use that power wisely or invite self-destruction.”

“Ohhh, self-destruction,” Kat giggled.

“Being born on the thirteenth, you can expect a great test of your faith during your lifetime.”

Looking down at her feet, Kat replied, “I feel like that's happening now.”

“It may be,” Debbie agreed, “As a Capricorn you must guard against discouragement.  Don't be afraid to take chances and never give up.  You will face tough challenges but you have instinctive knowledge and the potential to grow beyond your limits.  Trust yourself.  You are ruled by Saturn and Uranus, both large and powerful planets, though Uranus has a tendency to be rather erratic and difficult to control, which explains your sometimes violent temper and explosive energy as you try to assert your authority.  You must try to harness that energy and use it to your advantage by choosing the right time to unleash its force.  Joan of Arc was a Capricorn, you know.”

“She was?”

“Yep, know who else?  Your favorite author, J. R. R. Tolkien.”

“He was?” Kat asked with more enthusiasm than she'd shown for Joan.

“Yes, he sure was!”

“Cool.”

“Want to know your special Birth Number?”

“Uh, huh,” she nodded.

“Write down your birth date on this piece of paper.”

Kat wrote it down: 1 13 1993.

“Now, take all the digits and add them together,” her aunt instructed.

Doing so, Katherina wrote: 1 + 1 + 3 + 1 + 9 + 9 + 3 = 27.

“Twenty-seven,” Debbie confirmed, “Now adding the digits of the total, two and seven, we get nine.  Nine is your Birth Number and as the last of the single digits, it signifies the end of a cycle and a new beginning.  Very appropriate for you as you leave behind your childhood and grow into a woman.  Nine is also a number of Destiny which fits in well with the Wheel of Fortune that came out during your Tarot reading.  It also happens to be my Birth Number, too.”

“It is, really?”

“Yep, really.  Now I have some presents for you.”

Katherina opened the package and removed a long brown robe with a hood. Also in the box she found a book, a knife and a necklace.

“The necklace,” Aunt Debbie told her, “is a pentacle, a symbol of the earth which is especially connected to you because you're a Capricorn, which is an Earth sign.”

“The knife,” she continued, “is called an athame.  It's not a weapon but a tool used in rites and rituals.  It isn't very sharp.  You should keep it wrapped in a white cloth.”

She went on, “The book is called a Mirror Book.  It's like a diary where you keep track of your experiences as you practice your new craft.  You'll need all of these things for tonight's ceremony, when we induct you into our coven.”

Kat was ecstatic.  “Really, Auntie?  Do you really mean it?  Am I to learn to do magic like you?”

“You are.  In fact, right now we're going to give you a Witch Name.  It's a secret name that you only use with other witches.”

“My own secret name?”  The girl could hardly control her excitement.

“Yep.  The letters in your name add up to a value that matches your Birth Number.  I've got one for you but I'm going to teach you how to do it because someday you'll want to choose a name of your very own.  Write down the numbers one through nine spaced out across that piece of paper.  Then write down the letters of the alphabet under each of the numbers. You'll get almost three rows of letters.”

Doing so, Kat produced:

“Now,” Debbie continued once Kat had finished writing, “each letter has a value associated with it.  To get your witch name, you choose letters so that their values add up to your Birth Number.  Here's the name I chose for you: Princess Kat of the Full Moon.  Write down each letter and put the appropriate number under it.”

“Now add those numbers up,” Debbie told her.

Kat wrote them all down: 7 + 9 + 9 + 5 + 3 + 5 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 6 + 6 + 2 + 8 + 5 + 6 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 4 + 6 + 6 + 5 = 108.

“Again adding the digits of the total, we get one plus zero plus eight equals nine.  Voila!  Your Birth Number.”

“Princess Kat of the Full Moon.  I like it.  I don't think I'll ever change it.”

“Well, we'll use it tonight for your induction.”

Debbie brought Katherina, adorned in her brand-new robe, to the rather large house of the High Priestess of the Coven.  The others were already inside and waiting for them downstairs where the altar was set up.  The High Priestess welcomed them in, “Welcome, Morning Sun!  Blessed be.”

“Blessed be,” Debbie responded, “Let me introduce my niece, Princess Kat of the Full Moon.”

“Welcome, Princess Kat of the Full Moon.  Blessed be.” the High Priestess said with a smile. “Please enter, we are about to cast the circle.”

“Blessed be,” Kat responded nervously.

The High Priestess picked up her athame from the altar and began moving in a clockwise direction around the perimeter of the room.  She then lit some sage which produced thick white smoke.  She murmured something about purification by air and fire as she carried the burning sage around the circle.  Back at the altar she mixed three pinches of salt into a cup of water.  Saying something about purification by earth and water, she proceeded to sprinkle the salt water around the circle.

Once again back at the altar she announced that the circle had been purified with the four elements and that the corners should be called.  A member of the coven standing before a yellow candle pointed her athame at it while raising the palm of her left hand.  “Spirit of the East, by the Air that is her breath, we invite thee into this circle to watch over the initiation of Princess Kat of the Full Moon.  Welcome and blessed be.”  Immediately the flame of the candle was lit as if by an invisible hand.  Kat stared in disbelief.

Another member of the coven became the focus of Kat's attention when she spoke while pointing her small knife at a red candle, “Guardian of the South, by the Fire that is her spirit, we invite thee into this circle to watch over the initiation of Princess Kat of the Full Moon.  Welcome and blessed be.”  Again the candle lit itself.

Standing before a candle of blue, another member spoke, “Spirit of the West, by the Water that forms her tears, we invite thee into this circle to watch over the initiation of Princess Kat of the Full Moon.  Welcome and blessed be.”  The blue candle was suddenly alight.

Finally another, standing at a green candle, intoned, “Guardian of the North, by the Earth that is her body, we invite thee into this circle to watch over the initiation of Princess Kat of the Full Moon.  Welcome and blessed be.”  The green candle, too, became lit.

The High Priestess then said, “Earth Mother, please join with us and bring us your love, guidance and protection.  Welcome, Lady, and blessed be.”  At once the green candle upon the altar lit itself.  The High Priestess continued, “Sky Father, please join with us and bring us your love, guidance and protection.  Welcome, Lord, and blessed be.”  Now the red altar candle was lit as well.

The High Priestess directed her gaze at Kat, saying, “The orange candle symbolizes new beginnings.  It will light once we have invoked the spirit that dwells within you.”  She told the others to focus their energy on the girl.  With uplifted arms, she began to invoke Katherina's spirit:

On the thirteenth anniversary of her birth
We invoke the spirit of Princess Kat of the Full Moon.
On her thirteenth year upon the Earth
We invoke the spirit of Princess Kat of the Full Moon.

Kat began to tremble.

The orange candle on the altar remained cold and unlit.

The High Priestess continued, in a voice more powerful than before:

Earth, Air, Fire, Water
Give me your Strength.
Give me your Power.
I invoke Coventina
Goddess of renewal, divine!
Let the Energy of this Youth
And her Years be Mine!

Debbie's eyes flew open.  This was not part of an initiation ritual!  Kat was still standing but shaking violently.  And she was aging!  Looking to the High Priestess, she saw years melting from her face.  She was getting younger!  Turning her eyes back to Kat and watching her pass through her twenties and into her thirties, Debbie finally found her voice.  “Kat!” she screamed, “Remember your reading!  I'm the Queen of Cups, but the Empress is you!  You are the Empress!”

Kat suddenly stopped shaking and opened her own eyes.  In a booming voice, she asserted, “I am the Empress!”

The orange candle burst into flame, brighter than all the rest.

The brown robe she was wearing suddenly turned dazzling white.

Kat withdrew her athame and pointed it at the High Priestess who still stood with upraised arms.  “You have forgotten your Rede!” she accused.  She then recited it for all to hear:

Do what you will and have it done
For the good of all and the harm of none.
Enter the circle from below or above
With perfect trust and perfect love.

Debbie screamed once again, “Kill her!”

Kat, the Empress, looked at her aunt and replied, “No, killing is wrong.”

Turning her attention back to the High Priestess who now stood with her head bowed and her limbs lowered, she continued, “However, you shall be stripped of your power and I will have my years back.”

The process which had been transferring those years was now reversed until Kat was once again a young girl of thirteen.  But she was different somehow.  She was no longer the timid and nervous teenager who had come into the circle earlier that evening.  She was a young lady in command of herself.  She was the Empress.  She took over the ceremony.

“Farewell, Sky Father.  Thank you and go in peace.  Blessed be.”  The red candle upon the altar instantly went out.

“Farewell, Earth Mother.  Thank you and go in peace.  Blessed be.”  The green candle upon the altar also went out.

“Farewell, Guardian of the North, Ancient One of the Earth.  We thank you for your protection.  Go in peace and blessed be.”  The green watchtower candle extinguished itself.

“Farewell, Spirit of the West, Ancient One of Water.  We thank you for your protection.  Go in peace and blessed be.”  The blue candle went out.

“Farewell, Guardian of the South, Ancient One of Fire.  We thank you for your protection.  Go in peace and blessed be.”  The red watchtower candle went out next.

“Farewell, Spirit of the East, Ancient One of the Air.  We thank you for your protection.  Go in peace and blessed be.”  The yellow candle went out leaving only the orange candle to light the room.

Pointing her athame at the ground, the Empress walked counter-clockwise around the circle.  Returning to her starting point, she closed the ceremony:

The circle is open but never broken.
In peace depart
With love on your mind
And love in your heart.
Do what you will and have it done
For the good of all and the harm of none.

Friday, January 20, 2006

“Hi, Auntie!  I decided upon a new name for myself!”

“Oh, yeah, Hun, what's that?”

“Empress Kat, White Lady of the Full Moon,” Kat announced proudly.

“I like it,” Debbie replied, “I think it fits you perfectly.”