The Witch: Book Two of The Sorceress Saga by Taliesin Govannon (important books to read .txt) 📕

here with us as we erect the ancient temple.  Give us your gifts of inspiration, communication, and wit. So mote it be.”

                “So mote it be.” we answered.  I thought I could just make out voices on the wind, speaking and giggling just out of earshot.

                It was Gaia's turn next, and she turned to face south.  She had just learned the basic elemental call format before the ritual and was probably more confident about it than anyone outside of Raina.

                “Spirits of the south, elementals of fire,” she began, “be here with us as we erect the ancient temple. Give to us your powers of energy, passion, and will. So mote it be.

                “So mote it be.”  Any slight chill in the air (which was, surprisingly, possible even in Hawaii) disappeared, and I felt like I was encased in warm cotton.

                Raina turned to the west next.  “Spirits of the west, elementals of water, be with us as we erect the ancient temple.” she said, hands raised.  “Give to us your powers of intuition, transformation, and love.  So mote it be.”

                “So mote it be.”

                It was my turn now, and all of my old plans escaped from my head right at that moment.  I felt incredibly safe and secure, so I decided to just wing it.

                “Element of earth… spirit of the midnight land, of the north… I can feel you beneath my feet. I can feel your heartbeat as it beats in time with the Mother.  Welcome.”

                I felt a slight vibration beneath my feet as I continued.

                “Help us, old friends,” I said, “as we erect the ancient temple.  Be our foundation, our bones, our fertility.  So mote it be!”

                “So mote it be!” everyone responded, smiles on their faces.

                Raina picked up her athame and stood at the eastern point, her blade aimed at the edge of the circle.  “I do conjure thee, o circle of art,” she said as she started walking, once again, clockwise around the circle.  “And here do we all erect the ancient temple.  Be a circle of protection and power, to preserve and contain that which is raised within thee until we decide to release it into the world.  As I do so will, so mote it be!

                “So mote it be!"  I looked around and could see the edge of the circle.  It rose like a dome of mist, only with everything outside obscured and slightly blurry.

                “Let us call to the ancestors.”

                This was also up to me.  I knew that Jack would follow up with a God invocation, and Raina with a Goddess one.  Calling the ancestors was my job.

                Facing the fire, I closed my eyes and reached out.  This had never been a part of Raina's system before, but she had added it after we had felt it necessary to go outside of Wicca to honor our predecessors.  I was very relaxed about it, though.

                It’s new, so nobody will know if I screw it up! I thought coolly.  Besides, after last year, I’m probably the most experienced among us at talking to dead people.

                My ancestor call was very Wiccan, I knew, so it fit in well there.  "Ancestors of our blood," I began, "friends from past lives, predecessors on our paths, I stand here in this circle between the worlds and call to you with an invitation.  Come, join us before our fire as we work the old ways. Be our honored guests as we embrace life at every level, including what lies beyond."

                I paused, thinking that I heard a footstep in the forest.  Hearing nothing more, I continued.

                “Death is not a door that closes, it opens and we walk through it.  Here within the ancient temple, that door disappears and the living and the dead can commune as the eternal spirits that they are.  Friends, ancestors, predecessors… you are welcome.  Blessed be.”

                “Blessed be.” said Raina.

                “Blessed be.” Jack said as well.

                “Blessed be.” Gaia grinned.

                “Blessed be.” said my Great-Grandmother Eloise.

                I froze.  Did anybody else hear that?

                I opened my eyes and saw Raina, Jack, and Gaia all looking at a dark-haired woman standing in the northwest, between myself and Raina.

                Yep, they heard.

                She looked much like she had the first time I’d seen her… long dark hair, a nondescript blue dress, and a face that didn’t look a day over thirty. She’d explained to me before that she could look any way she wanted, and she liked her thirty-year-old self more than the ninety-three-year-old one that she had died in.

                “Grandma?” I said hesitantly.

                “Yes dear?” she said.

                “Are you really here?”

                “Well of course I am.”

                “Ok.  Any reason why?”

                “Well, you invited me...” she said, her eyebrows raised.

                “Uh, right.”  I looked at the others in the circle “This is Eloise, my great-great Grandmother.”

                “Cool.” Jack said with a shrug.  “Hi.” he waved.

                “You’ll have to forgive us,” Raina said, regaining her footing, “but we don’t usually have anyone who takes us up on the invitation in such a… corporeal way.”

                “Well, dearie, this year you have a fully formed Sorceress in your crew.” she said kindly.  “To say nothing of the oodles of Fae magick you have flying around in here.  You should probably get used to a few more… what does your century call it?... ‘bells and whistles’ from now on.”

                “So what do we do now?” Jack asked.

                “Well, if my pre-ritual preternatural spying was correct, you’re supposed to be calling a Horned God next, right Jack?” Eloise said patiently.

                “Oh, right!” he replied.  He looked at Raina, and she nodded.

                Jack approached the altar and sprinkled more incense on the censer.  “Great Horned One,” he said, “Accept this gift of incense as we reach out to you.  We, your children, do call to you.”

                Jack raised his arms and slipped into the invocation easily.

                “Great Horned one, consort to the Goddess and leader of the dance, come and join