Out of the Shadows

SAMHAIN, November 1, 2024

"Sabete Latepo," chanted the high priestess.

"Sabete Latepo," echoed twelve times around the encircled parchment and chicken heart laying on the sand. Splashes of fresh blood accented the handwritten words,

You will do as we tell you. You will think what we command. You will feel what we want you to feel.

***

Twenty minutes earlier, a thousand stars sparkled above a waxing half-moon that gleamed off the great white owl's ethereal feathers as it circled to land on the beach. Twelve blue and white-robed women shivered in silence in a circle almost complete. Calm seas pulsed its sympathetic waves to calm their anxious hearts. Their high priestess had arrived.

By the necessity of secrecy, eight years had passed since their last Sabbat. Floating into the December breeze with wings flared, her powerful legs extended, and she touched her talons on the sand. In a vaporous blur, like desert heat rising to the sky, she transformed into the old woman she was. Diana stepped to the vacant gap and made the circle complete.

"Before we Draw down the Moon and Circle dance for our Samhain Sabbat we have business to attend to. You have done well, my sisters, in your accomplishments and have kept our circle unbroken save for one," she said, "The secrecy of our endeavor has been endangered just when our time to shine has come. One of you has breached their vow to the coven."

"Is it I?" said Katherine, the CEO of Goldman Sachs, "Have I failed us?"

"Or I?" said Samantha, the U.S. District Attorney for Washington D.C.

The question was echoed around the circle from a renowned surgeon, four high-profile attorneys, a two-star general, and three internationally known businesswomen.

"Gisele, you have remained silent and betray yourself," said Diana, "You have shared our secrets with your lover and he has exposed you with his posts on social media."

The witches closest to Giselle stepped away from her as the stench of her crime offended them.

"It was just a joke. I love him and trust him. You can too," Gisele said.

"Your lover posted online, 'I'm bewitched by a witchy witch and she's wild'," said Diana,” which confirms you've cast erotic spells in the bedroom. How could we ever trust you as a journalist for the worlds largest news corp? Gisele, you have broken your vows to the coven and are expelled from this circle. Sisters, take her robe and strip her naked. It disgusts me to bear witness to the dishonor of her wearing it."

Eleven witches charged Gisele and stripped the robe from her. They shoved her to the sand, tore the pink panties from her lithe body, and left her stark naked.

"Stop, do not beat her or leave a mark on her. Let her go to live in her shame," said Diana.

Whimpering in fear, with shoulders hunched, Gisele stood with her hands covering her exposed breasts and womanhood. Urine trickled through her fingers, down her sandcoated thighs, and stained the sand. Her coven sisters backed away shocked at her betrayal.

"How could you Gisele? We have loved you since you were a child. We roomed together in college," said Samantha and spat a gob of spit onto her feet.

"I'm ashamed I vouched for you," said Katherine, "You are scum to me," and turned her back.

Restrained from physical force, the witches berated her with curses and stripped her of their loyalty. Gisele flinched as each verbal blow ripped pieces of her sanity, and she doubled over in pain as if daggers were piercing her flesh.

Gisele screamed in desperation, "You will regret this. I will expose you all. What was fun in college is now pure silliness. Grow up!"

"Run now, Gisele. Run for your miserable life before I change my mind," said Diana.

Gisele jogged towards the open beach, and her car parked a mile away.

"That's it?' said Katherine, "You are going to let her go. She could ruin us."

"No," said Diana, "We will let magic do our wet work. It will leave no trace."

"With only twelve, how can we cast a spell?" asked Samantha.

Diana looked to the moon as a screeching gray owl sailed across the spectrum of the half-moon and circled to the earth. A majestic owl with freckled white chest feathers transformed into a mature woman with long black hair, amber eyes, and bronze skin.

"Ladies, welcome our thirteenth to the coven. You recognize her from television but know she is true to the Book of Shadows. I have personally trained her for years. Present her the vacant coven robe and reform the magick circle," Diana said as she turned to the beach to measure Gisele's progress.

***

Gisele stumbled near the frigid surf as tears blurred her balance. The parking lot lights illuminated hope in the distance. Three hundred yards behind thirteen wands were raised to the night sky.

A warm breeze swirled around her and whispered,

You will do as we tell you. You will think what we command. You will feel what we want you to feel.

She stopped.

"Why am I running? There is nothing to fear."

Smiling, she thought of beautiful things like scented flowers and fluttering butterflies on a warm spring day. Her breath slowed, and her heart calmed to a normal beat. Turning towards the rolling surf, she sensed peace and warmth like three fine shots of liquor had hit her stomach. Quieted, she stared into the void, wanting and needing its embrace. She stepped forward until the icy water rose over her breasts, shoulders, and neck.

"Yes, I want this," she said as a wave splashed her face, "It's so beautiful."

The crown of her head disappeared below the ocean's surface, and her long hair floated on the surface in her final goodbye to the world. Nine hundred feet distant, the coven lowered their wands, saddened by the price of their needed security.

***

IMBOLC, Feb 1, 2025

The Sergeant of Arms yelled the announcement from the back door of the U.S. Congress,

"Mr. Speaker, the President of the United State," as every member of Congress, the Senate, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Supreme Court Judge stood to applaud.

An owl-faced, black-haired, bronze-skinned woman appeared in the aisle and shook hands to their cheers as the first woman President of the United States. She arrived at the podium, and the applause continued. She shook hands with the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader. The elected and appointed leaders of the free world had come to witness her first State of the Union Address.

The presidential eyes swept the balcony and the aisles to her side. Raising her hands, palms up, her eleven sisters and Diana stood and formed a Magick circle around the congressional hall. The President placed a parchment paper and a chicken heart on the podium and jabbed her hand with a pencil. Blood dripped onto the vanilla white paper.

Accustomed to demonstrations during State of the Union addresses, no one showed concern. The witches lit thirteen black candles, and Congress expected them to break out in a song.

Diana chanted from the balcony,

"Sabete Latepo."

The magick circle, including the President of the United States, raised their wands as one and echoed in unison,

"Sabete Latepo."

A thousand slivers of blue-arced lightning radiated from the parchment and shot across the room. No one was left untouched.

The President said, "Please welcome the twelve members of my cabinet whom you will confirm without delay."

The joint members of Congress nodded in the affirmative as she read from the blood-stained parchment.

"You will do as we tell you. You will think what we command. You will feel what we want you to feel," she said.

She wrapped the parchment around the chicken heart and the thirteen witches blew out the flames from their black candles.

"Sabetto Lepati," cried Diana.

"Sabetto Lepati," shouted the thirteen witches.

"Sabetto Lepati," echoed the leaders of the free world.

***

Authors Note:

The Control spell utilized in this story is from The Book of Shadows, a noted witch's guide. Though many other languages are used, most covens prefer the Sumerian, Latin, or Egyptian languages to cast their spells. Beware, the spell described in this story is real.

The Wheel of the Year in Witchcraft is segmented into Major (4) and Minor (4) quarters and is celebrated with feasts and sabbats,

Yule – Dec. 19 Winter Solstice , Imbolc - Feb 1 Spring Begins , Ostaria - Mar 19 Spring Equinox , Beltane - May 1 May Day , Litha/Midsummer- June 19 Summer Solstice , Lughnasadh- Aug. 1 First Harvest , Mabon- Sept 20 Autumn Equinox , Samhain- Oct 31-Nov 1. New Year