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#2

Aurora

I walked into the tree line, barely noticing my aunt take off. The buzz of magic and the hum of nature's energy called to me. It drowned out the rumble of her Mustang igniting. As I disappeared into the woods, my mind propelled me forward of its own volition. With my instincts honed, I had enough abilities up my sleeve and knowledge to get by with what little I had brought. This was about me, nature, the elements, and The Mother goddess. What did she have planned? It was up to me to not only be open to my abilities but to let go. I was a little leery of losing control after years of holding it in, but together we would figure it out. My instinct said we would have a long walk together.

I ignored any twitch to mark my path and followed the demand that nature intended. Like a tight string reeling me into my destiny. I squelched the dismay and fear of the unknown and just followed my soul's desire.

Throughout the day, I mindlessly nibbled on edible berries I found in bushes along the way, drank from a fast-moving brook, and breathed in the scent of pine and the forest. As my footfall was being encouraged forward swiftly, my body moved in a daze. My impulse was to just follow the pull, as if my soul depended on it. And maybe it just did. The magic sharpened my instincts, making me a part of the flora and fauna around me. I had never allowed myself to dip into the link of the earth and her creatures this closely, and it was near exhilarating. I could sense everything from the skidder of bugs to the scamper of a rabbit in the distance. The churn of distant brooks and insects humming amongst the background of the world. The hoot of the owl sounded abruptly and pulled me out of my senses. When I left the road, it was mid-morning. Now dusk was upon me. I had been on the move for hours.

The owl is one of several sacred animals to our people, representing wisdom, adaptability, and clairvoyance. I paused, my mind catching up with my body as distracted as I was by the exhilaration of being so free in my link to the primal world. It was as if I was at the heart of nature traveling through my territory. I had tuned in far further than I'd expected I ever could. I could be anywhere, with no map, no GPS, and there were no cell phones on this parley with mother nature. My fingers twitched, with the knowledge of the magnitude of power that I could access. This was an owl pulling me out at the goddess's whim. The shadows grew darker as the sun set and the moon rose high. I could sense the surrounding animals, the brook not far off. The breeze was mild in the September weather as it cooled. I was wearing thick black leggings, a short jean skirt, a grey tank, and a lavender off-shoulder sweater was warm, the chill, however, snaked across my neck and my collarbone, as the soft breeze blew my hair. It was time to hunker down for the night.

I pulled away from my senses back to reason and surveyed the surroundings. Looking for a place to camp. The weather was cool but pleasant. Glancing around, I saw a feather moving in the breeze. It had to be an owl feather, by the looks of it. I tucked it behind my ear and surveyed the area for a place to camp. I found a smooth area under a massive tree to lay my backpack and sleeping bag, avoiding rocks and thick patches of leaf fall, a snake may frequent. As I pulled some sticks and dry leaves from my surroundings after digging a small hole and banking it with stones, I stacked the hole with some sticks and dry kindling. I looked around me, not being used to the freedom of using my gifts at will. Breathing in, reaching out to the surrounding energy, pulling my intent forward. I channeled only what was necessary to accomplish my minimal need. There was so much to tap into my body, humming with the surrounding energy. I funneled the smallest spark of energy into my fire pit and let my intent loose, bringing it to light. I could still feel the buzz of energy around me even as I tuned it out. It was so much more than I was used to, being that I was a witch that could go further than anyone in the coven, unbeknownst to anyone but Aunt Bess.

*Flashback:

Sitting on a log as I stared into the flickering flames, my mind drifted to memories.

I was so small. Most kids don't remember things that happened to them when they were that young. I was toddling after my brother, who was playing with a fire truck. He was 6 years older than me and I idolized him at that age. "Whoo whoo," he sounded. "Rory, there's a big fire in the forest," he called out to me. "The wambulance is on its way!" I called in my little voice, following behind him. We dashed out of his room and down the hall, entering the sitting room. Suddenly, I ran into him and fell back with a whimper as he halted. One of our mother's house plants was aflame! He screamed "Ma! Pa! FIRE!" he was so panicked. I stood there looking at the flames as my parents rushed in. "GET OUT FIRE!" I yelled. "No Scare my BROTHER!" And instantly, the flames vanished. I smiled, beaming up at my parents. But they instead looked worried. As I stood as a toddler looking confused at my parent's expressions. My panicked big brother pulled me into a death grip of a hug. "Sissy, you saved me!" he whispered. I hugged him back tightly. I would always take care of him because he was always looking out for me.*

That was the day we learned my brother had Pyro abilities. At the tender age of 8, he sat down and explained that he had to be careful with his imagination, so as not to hurt anyone else. I also can't forget the raven that befriended him the same day. He was knocking on the window as my aunt sat downstairs with my parents talking in hushed voices. Normal witches developed powers when puberty hit. We were enigmas. While they made my brother able to move forward normally with his magic studies as a sort of prodigy, I, however, became shrouded, as my ability to control another's magic was taboo. My aunt would take me daily, practically moving in, and work me hard on control so that I wouldn't slip up in front of others.

My brother would go on playdates with my mother visiting other coven kids while my father would take me hiking or fishing. When my father took my brother on coven kids' camping trips, they left me with my mother, who shared her vast knowledge of flora, or my aunt and her strict training. I couldn't let emotions affect my connection to my magic. I had to learn how to pull tiny threads of energy which to an adult witch were like tugging on immovable chains. At 4 years old, I became able to pull those chains with my little finger.

So, at a time when most witches were rejoicing in their newfound, long-awaited power, I was a toddler, shut out of friendships and hidden from the people who were supposed to be my peers. My brother was a distraction, and I became a presumably shy little girl who "preferred her own company." On the off-chance, attendance was mandatory. My Mother would dress me sweetly, give me a line or 2, and tell me to go play in the garden, once I greeted the adults. They would preen over how sweet, quiet, or well-behaved I was. Little did they know, I'd rather go jump in the lake with the other kids or play a game of rowdy tag, but it was too risky, which made me fear myself for a long time. As I grew older, Aunt Bess taught me to respect my magic and feel safe in my control of it. Fear was healthy in my situation, because with great power came the greater responsibility of wielding it. I had to own what I was capable of.

I had become mesmerized by the flames. Sucked into memories of fear and loneliness. The breeze cradled me as the fire’s light held me working together to give a message. It could have been all for nothing. Here, out in the middle of who knows where I vowed to no longer fear myself. Up until this point, I was unsure. I knew something was coming, but I wouldn't allow myself to be scared. The goddess would be there and I'd know what to do when that time came. I nibbled on some dried fruit, sipping water. I then pulled out a talisman I had brought with me, setting it on the ground. dribbling some water over it, then scooping out some ash from the fire and sprinkling some on it. The earth beneath it, the water and ash, and the air surrounding it account for the elements of life. I went to my knees, calling the four winds forward, requesting a blessing of protection overnight. I was pretty sure I didn't need to ask, but I could feel the ominous guarded energy as if the trees became sentinels. A gust of air whirled around the area. The energy remained but settled instead of buzzing. I came to rest for the night. My body needed to recuperate after a day of trudging through the forest relentlessly.

I pulled out my journal, a brown leather bound that had a flap with a leather wraparound clasp. Magic symbols were embedded into the soft, plush surface. They will change after the Knowing is complete. The symbols would morph and change into something symbolic of my coming-of-age journey. I sketched out some landscapes I had wandered through and tucked the feather into the pages where I sketched out the owl. I also noted any exciting species of plants I'd come across. My mother had been the one to cultivate my knowledge and l asove for plants. My aunt, her twin, was nonetheless enthusiastic about their uses and properties. While I excelled, my brother couldn’t keep a succulent alive to save his life. He could remember all he learned about a plant, but the act of cultivating them found him at a loss. I used to try to help him and he would run me off, knowing my touch would rectify his shortcomings. “Roura, I just have to accept that I’m not you,” he would say. “Stop trying to fix everything for me. You can’t do everything for me. If I can’t learn, I have to accept my shortcomings.” Blake reminded me of our dad at times. Other times, we would bicker and fight, nearly taking the house down with us.

Few families would let their normal human 18-year-old daughters traipse around in the woods alone for days or weeks at a time. A well-learned, powerful, and trained witch, however, was something else. My aunt and my coven ensured I knew and perfected my talents well, at least those of a basic witch. Only the strongest of us would attend a journey such as this. The high priestess and priest had praised me for my sensitivity to the pull of nature’s energy. As well as my ability to pinpoint and control the amount of power necessary without overuse. Little did they know that I abstained, by holding back far more than they could sense.

Most of us would simply come back to the coven with a specific purpose. To be a spiritual healer or to work with rehabilitating wildlife, just to name a few. My grandmother came back with a herd of mustangs. She worked to assure the procurement of the land and lobbied to have it protected and to live on the land as a guardian of the wild horses. Those summers on the ranch were so free. Unfortunately, the land went to the government in their will to continue protecting the herd. Wildlife officers cared for the horses and land. Even though I would email inquiries to the office they had there, it was nothing like running wild bareback alongside the herd. I always felt safe there. No coven, no watchful eyes, just adoring grandparents enjoying the antics and joys of their grandchildren.

I set the journal aside and slipped into my sleeping bag. My thoughts stilled as I lay there surrounded by the guardians of the forest night. I closed my eyes, listening to the hum of the forest and its occupants. 'And ye fear not, you harm none, ye do what ye will.' The Mother's energy hummed in my mind. The goddess's blessing enveloped me as she lulled me to sleep.

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