To say Finnegan did not see that coming was the understatement of the millennium.
...
Saturday began with a fresh breeze through Finnegan's open window. He liked to sleep with it cold in his room. The light filtered in between his curtain, lightening the room. He got out of bed and opened the curtains fully, deeply breathing in to steady his energy. Today was the day he planned to do the ritual. He had prepared everything for his ritual space, selected his ritual garb, and done the meditations. He couldn't start the ritual until it got dark, but there was still much left to do.
Finnegan was glad Elise had at least asked about his beliefs. He wanted to show her all the beautiful magic he knew, and see what beautiful magic she would make on her own. She could channel the Goddess in ways that he would never be able to, but he could channel the God. And together, they could touch even higher levels of Cosmic Power than they'd be able to do alone. Witches were always stronger when they worked together, but their power was reflected by their bonds to each other. They had to build a perfect trust and perfect love to work together and be at their highest strength. No matter the individual power of any witch, they would be diminished in power if they worked with someone they didn't trust because the magic would have a weak link and fizzle out or not work at all.
Finnegan went into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee and some toast. He wanted to clear the fallen branches from the clearing and set up his altar, which would take him all morning.
He went out to his shed and carried as many of his altar items as he could to the ritual clearing. He had to make three trips, but when he finally had everything assembled in a heap, he went about walking the perimeter and then spiraling inward toward the center of the circle, picking up branches and twigs as he went. He had to stop and drop the armful of sticks close to the trail several times before continuing where he left off to make sure he had sufficiently removed as many sticks as he could find.
Then, he transported all of these sticks, in several more trips, to the fire pit in the backyard. He wanted to burn them, but he also thought it best to just leave them and wait for a night Elise could come over, so he could hold her hand by the fire and watch her under the starlight. He went to the tool shed and took out a rake before going back to the clearing.
He raked the leaves into a pile in the center, and then again taking several back and forth trips with the leaves held between his hand and the rake, he transported them to the fire pit as well. Once he was satisfied with the space, he returned the rake to the shed and began drawing with his foot in the dirt. He traced the inner edge of the stone circle. Then, he drew the five-pointed star with the upmost point facing the East. Stepping out of the drawing, he placed the coordinating candles in their respective directions just inside the stone ring: Yellow for East, Red for South, Blue for West, and Green for North. The Black and white candles he placed on the outer edge of the ring to the East and the West: White in the East, Black in the West.
He took the deer skull and faced it toward the white candle and the circle, and the Goddess figurine was behind the black candle facing into the circle. He picked up the velvet bag of stones he had charged and poured them into his hand. He could feel their energies swirling. He place the clear quartz in front of the yellow candle, smoky quartz in front of red, labradorite stone in front of blue, and finally the moss agate in front of green. It was coming together, but he wanted everything to be perfect. He stood in the middle of it all, centering himself with breathing exercises, just feeling the energy that permeated the clearing with the placement of these charged artifacts. The energy was coiling itself towards the center where he stood, being drawn in by the vortex he was creating.
He stepped out of the circle again and went to where his pile had lain before he methodically dismembered it. All that remained was the circlet and his staff. He placed the circlet atop the skull and laid his staff deliberately behind the figure of the Goddess. He stood on the outside of the circle, listening to the forest, feeling the mild air, and just keeping his mind still and calm.
When he finally went back to the house, leaving the clearing to draw in all the energy it could before he began the rite, it was noon. He made himself a sandwich and filled a glass with water from the fridge. His mom came in while he was eating.
"Hey, Mom," he said as she entered.
"Hi, Finn. Where have you been all morning?"
"I've been doing some pathworking in the woods. I'll be out there later trying something out. I'm just trying to make sure I get everything right."
"Oh, that's good. You've been working very diligently lately, even with your new girlfriend. I figured you'd be spending more time with her rather than cultivating your craft." She came to sit at the table with him.
"Well, I recently went through the things I got from Nana Rose, sometime before I asked Elise to be my girlfriend, and I wanted to work through something I found before I slowed down and focused on spending time with her."
"I see," she said, laying one hand over the other with her elbows spread flat on the table in front of her. "That's understandable. Care to share what it is you're working on? Maybe I can help," she offered.
"Well..." He didn't want to tell his parents that he was going to do a transformation spell. This was most definitely higher level magic than he should reasonably attempt, but the lure of it was too strong. With his heart full of his love for Elise, he wanted to channel this power rising within him. Even if it didn't work, he wanted to know how close he could get. You had to strive for higher things if you ever hoped to grow. If he told his parents, he worried they might try to talk him out of it, or insist that they be a part of it. He wanted to know how strong HE was without their help. They were great teachers, and better parents, but this was just something he had to know for himself.
"I...kind of want to reap the fruits of all my solitary practice," he said finally finding the words. "Actually," he added, "I could use your help with one thing."
"Alright, what do you need?" She perked up, leaning forward a little.
"Could you mix me some herbs for a tea? I want something for," he thought for a moment, "clarity of mind."
"Easy enough." She rose from the table and headed into the kitchen. "Do you want to drink it now, or should I just bag it up and let you brew it later?"
"Bag it up, please. I'm not planning on drinking it until after dinner, but I might eat a little earlier tonight."
"Alright, dear."
"Where's dad?"
"Oh, he went over to Ray's house. Ray needed his help moving something."
"Oh." I brought my plate to the sink and rinsed it before setting it in the dish drainer on the counter. "Ok. Well, I'm going to go work on some homework for a while."
I left my mom in the kitchen and went to my room. I went over to Dolores' habitat and took her out. She was great for grounding. She neutralized all of the excess energy that radiated from me after touching all of the charged artifacts. I let her settle into a coil around my shoulders before I took the books out of my backpack and spread them out on the bed in different piles for each different subject. I only had a short creative writing assignment, a study guide to fill out for my History midterm, and a chapter to read for Health.
Elise and I had finished everything for Science. All that was left was to bring the projects to school. Maybe I'll see if the teacher would let me bring them in early and keep them at the school. That way I wouldn't forget anything the day the assignments were due.
He picked up his History folder and pulled out his study guide. He had answered a few questions throughout it, but it was still mostly unfinished. He decided to at least try to get it to a halfway point before moving on to one of his other subjects.
He worked until 3 o'clock. By then, he managed to halfway complete the study guide, brainstorm an idea for his short story and get it started, and read through the whole chapter for Health. Satisfied with his progress, he put his books back in his backpack and moved it over by the door. Then he uncoiled Dolores from his neck, sprayed her with some water, and wiped her down before he put her back in her enclosure, securing the lid. He was feeling drained, so he set an alarm for 4 o'clock on his phone and laid on his bed to take a nap.
After his nap, Finnegan was feeling refreshed. His alarm thrust him into a state of alertness as he remembered that he was going to work the ritual tonight. If everything went well, he would call Elise and ask if he could see her tomorrow. If not, he would still call her just to hear her voice, but he wanted to focus on the ritual first. It was more than turning a berry he found on his first "date" with her into a rose for his Love. It was a test of his power. He wanted to be strong and worthy of protecting Elise. She was precious to him, and this growing feeling between them enhanced his connection to the Cosmic Energy. He just HAD to do it.
Feeling energized, Finnegan went into the kitchen to heat up some leftovers. He didn't eat much. He just wanted enough food in his stomach to keep him from getting nauseous during the rite. He would eat again afterward if he had to.
He went back to his room and checked the time. It was 4:30. His phone was on 7% battery life, so he plugged it in and decided to take a pre-ritual shower.
He cleansed himself thoroughly, and, before he got out, turned the water to COLD and stood meditating under the icy cascade for about five minutes, forcing himself to hold his focus and letting the water purify him. He cleared his mind of everything but the water droplets. When he was finished with this meditation, he shut off the water and wrapped himself in a towel. He brushed his teeth, mussed his hair after running a little brush through it, and went back to his room, taking his clothes with him to drop in the hamper.
He took his ritual garb from his closet and laid it on the bed. He ran the towel over his legs once more, then hung it on the doorknob so he would remember to take it back to the bathroom. Finnegan dressed in his brown Celtic pants and ring belt that he often wore for special Esbat ceremonies, or to Renaissance Faires. He put on his black, medieval, knee-high boots and a light zip-up hoodie. Then he went to the kitchen to brew his tea, leaving his phone in his room.
"Thank you, Mom," he thought, as he poured hot water from the kettle over the leafy mixture. It was a green tea with a a bitter smell, so he added some honey after he strained the bigger leaves out. He took the mug with him out to the shed so it could cool before he drank it, walking carefully so he didn't spill.
He set the mug on his desk in the shed, and went to the book shelf. On the bottom shelf, he had an ornate wooden box that he kept incense in. He selected a couple sticks, and put the box back. Then, he took the abalone shell that was resting on another shelf and a sage wand from a basket. Holding all of these items against his side and carrying the mug, he kicked open the door of the shed. He set the mug down on the ground to close the door, then picking up the mug again he walked to the forest clearing.
It was getting darker, but there was still enough light to see. He would have to rely on moonlight coming back. But the moon was almost full, so he hoped it would be enough. laying the shell, incense, and sage on the outside of the circle, Finnegan stood up and blew across the top of his tea. It had cooled down enough that when he took his first sip, he continued to drink it until he drained it, leaving only a stream of leaf sediment rising up the side.
The tea had warmed him, so he removed his hoodie and laid it on the ground next to the cup. He pulled a lighter from a small pouch that was attached to the side of his belt and took up the other items he brought. He stuck the incense sticks in the ground on the South side of the circle and placed the sage wand in the abalone shell on the North side. Then, he took the little red berry from his pouch and placed it in the top triangle of the pentagram he drew in the dirt earlier. The tea was starting to take effect. His mind felt clear, and he was ready.
He stood before the sage, rising his arms in an arc to pause above his head, then pressing his palms together, he pulled his hands down to his chest. He was stepping into his magical mindset. He was no longer Finnegan, but became his magical self, who he named Breandan Blackmoon.
Holding the lighter in his hand, he picked up the sage wand and lit the end of it, blowing on it to make the smoke rise. Once it was smoking sufficiently, Breandan said to the forest, "I purify the sacred space. May all residual energy dissipate and only helpful energy remain." He walked around the outer edge of the circle, stepping around his carefully placed artifacts and waving the sage so the smoke floated and followed him. When he came back around to the abalone shell, he held the sage below his chin and breathed deeply in through his nose, blowing out through the small circle of his lips directing the air at the sage. With one last arc of the wand, he flicked the ashes away and rested the burning tip of the sage in the bowl of the shell. Breandan stepped into the circle and faced the East.
"I welcome the Great God of the Forest, Cernnunos, and the ancient spirit of Air that guards the Eastern Watchtower. Come to my circle and lend me your protection. Hail, and welcome." He lit the yellow candle and gave a bow to the skull that looked on with hollow eyes. He moved to the south.
"I welcome the Spirit of Fire, who guards the Southern Watchtower. Come to my circle and lend me your power. Hail, and welcome." He lit the red candle and the incense, blowing gently on the glowing tips and wafting the aromatic smoke into the air. He moved to the west.
"I welcome the Great Goddess, Aradia, Most Beautiful and Wise, with the Spirit of Water who guards the Western Watchtower. Lend me your protection and purity so that only my pure intentions shall manifest. Hail, and welcome." He lit the blue candle and bowed deeply to the Goddess figurine. Finally, picking up his staff that lay on the ground behind the Goddess, he moved to the north.
"And from the Northern Watchtower, I welcome the Spirit of Earth to come into the circle, closing the Sacred Space so that no other powers may enter the clearing with malicious intent. Hail, and welcome." He lit the green candle, then lifted the staff, pointing it toward the sky. He stepped back until he came to the center of the pentagram he drew in the dirt. Lowering the point of his staff, grasping its shaft firmly with both hands, he spun in a 360 degree turn, quickly and slammed the base of his staff on the ground. "So mote it be!" he yelled into the forest.
He placed the staff horizontally in front of him and crossed his arms in an X, with his hands resting on his shoulders. He stood there pulling the energy into him from the circle, feeling it rise and his power build. Then, he lifted his arms up into a V above his head, visualizing himself growing roots that held him fast to the ground where he stood.
He closed his eyes and pictured the berry, thinking about when he picked it with Elise. He pictured it's life on the bush from bud to blossom to berry. Then he thought of what he wanted to transform it into, a rose. The rose was a symbol of Elise blooming into his life, adding beauty and softness to his thorns. He tried to remember the chant. Leaning his head back, he repeated the incantation three times, each time saying it with more force and confidence.
"One form to another
Become what you are meant to be,
From my mind, I command a new shape
To replace the shape before me.
One form to another
Become what you are meant to be,
From my mind, I command a new shape
To replace the shape before me.
One form to another
Become what you are meant to be,
From my mind, I command a new shape
To replace the shape before me."
He pulled his arms down to stretch before him, palms facing out, as he finished the chant. He felt the burst of energy leave him. He pulled his head upright again, but kept his eyes closed until all of the energy went out of him.
When he opened his eyes, the berry still laid where he placed it. He lowered his arms and looked around. The forest was still, and only the flames flickered around him casting shadows against the trees.
Feeling disappointed that the berry was still a berry, he released the spirits and thanked them. He thanked the Goddess and God, and blew out all of the candles in the reverse order he had lit them. He was no longer Breandan Darkmoon, but regular Finnegan again. He started to gather up a few things to take with him, but he knew he would have to get a flashlight from his shed and make several trips. Suddenly, in the quiet, he heard a rustling. He looked in the direction of the sound, but his eyes were still adjusting to the dark.
He stood, slowly, and took a few steps, preparing to cast away any unwelcomed entity, but the closer he got to the edge of the clearing, his eyes adjusted and he saw a beautiful black and white ball python morph. The snake jerked and then laid still. It was cold out for a snake, and he wondered what it was doing here, and it was an unnatural morph that a python breeder would have had to create.
He stepped closer and it saw him. His eyes scanned the area around it and he could make out the form of a coat and a little backpack lying not far from the snake. Realization set in. Was this...Could the spell have worked and....Elise? His eyes grew wider as the thoughts raced in his mind.
"Oh, Gods! What have I done?"
He picked up the snake, moving slowly, but he was beginning to panic. He let the snake wrap around his shoulder against the warmth of his body. He picked up her stuff and walked as briskly as he could back to the house. Along the way he threw the coat over his shoulder covering the snake. He took the steps by twos, trying not to trip. His dad had gone inside. He slid open the glass door, and stood looking terror-stricken in the living room.
His parents looked over from the couch where they were sitting.
Their expressions changed from curious to concerned when they saw him holding Elise's coat over his shoulder and her backpack purse in his hand.
"Finn," his mom said slowly, "Did Elise find you?" They both leaned forward on the couch, suddenly feeling alarmed that she was hurt or something.
'Or something' was right, but how could he explain?
"Um, yeah, she found me, but I didn't realize it until it was too late. I....I'm so sorry. Please, help me fix this. I screwed up. I really screwed up." Tears were streaming and his parents were by his side.
"Honey, where is she? What happened, please calm down and tell us what happened?" His mom reached for his shoulder where Elise was tucked under the coat.
Finnegan pulled the coat down and revealed the black and white morph coiled against his arm. At the sudden introduction of light, Elise slithered under Finnegan's armpit, flicking her tongue out and looking around slowly.
Seeing the snake, his parents were confused. Finnegan wiped tears from his face, but more continued to roll down his cheeks. He uncoiled the snake from him and laid her on the carpet, sinking to his knees in front of her. The snake looked around and began stretching out into her full length, exploring.
"Mom, remember how I said I found something from Nana Rose that I wanted to try?" She nodded. "Well, it was a transformation spell, and I wanted to see if I could do it. I tried to transform something simple. Just a berry I found with Elise. I wanted to make it into a rose to give her, but it didn't work. Or at least I thought it didn't. I didn't know she was there. My eyes were closed during the ritual, and when I found this snake and her stuff, I..." He was crying again. He bowed forward, prostrate with his face in his hands. His muffled sobs filtered through his fingers, "I don't know what to do. I didn't think this could happen." His body shook as he wailed.
His parents looked at the snake, then wide-eyed at each other. They both placed a hand on Finnegan's back, but they were inwardly panicking now too.