Uma’s Choice

•••

Grandmother Moon

Divine Mother Earth

Held above and below

Gift a sacred rebirth

Blessed be thine

Bathed by moonlight and soil

Accepted. Protected.

In times of thy toil

From treacherous trouble

From webs that ye woven

From the edge of eternity

Come back to this coven!

•••

Time was of no relevance here. It existed, yet it were as though the gravity of the situation dispelled even gravity itself. The words rang out thick into the mid summer night air and hung there, echoing in the atmosphere like misty midnight church bells. A cacophony of calamity pulsated through her as her ventricles betrayed her, brutishly beating up against her beast bone. Her wide hazel eyes unwaveringly focused, as fear fell from the seams in unrelenting waves.

“….. COME BACK TO THIS COVEN!” she cried out again determined as she glared down, searching for something. Anything. A breath. Movement. Hope.

“GRANDFATHER MOON! DIVINE MOTHER EARTH! HEL…” she trailed off at the loving warmth of a shaking palm on the nape of her neck.

“Neve… it’s no use. It’s too…” but she was cut off to the quick.

“Don’t you dare! Don’t you dare say… it’s not! Gather sisters! It’s not!” She demanded, her gaze not lifting for a single moment.

“GRANDFATHER MOON!” she called out with such vigour.

Remi’s hand sturdied. With the other outstretched behind her beckoning another, and in an instant it was filled. She gently positioned herself and cupped Neves hand in her own and continued on.

“… Divine Mother Earth”

Sage effortlessly takes up the remaining void, interlocking their fingers and forming a perfect equilateral as she knelt.

“… Held above and below” she joined sadly and Neve finally looked up in a momentary laps, as they sang out in a firm chorus.

“… gift a sacred rebirth!”

The remaining nine members formed a protective circle around the sorrowful scene. Hand in hand. Heart to heart. For this was the love laboured by the the frail beloved women before them. Each woman with her own story. Her own reason to feel the weight of what was before them.

And as the last hand connected completing the circle, the motionless body of their loved one below drew up in the centre, as if by an invisible string and a brilliant white orb floated up into the still blackness leaving the women in awe. Frantically they all raced on without a breath.

“… Blessed-be-thine-bathed-in-moonlight-and-soil-accepted-protected-in-times-of-thy-toil!”

And as if it were by magic, a calm and familiar melodic voice angelically chimed out into the universe, as the orb grew brighter than even grandfather moon himself.

“Be no trouble so grand to limit the love that we’ve woven. For all of eternity - Blessed be my dear coven! I love you my dear hearts. Always. Aho!” and the melody trailed off like the end of a epic love ballad, as the spectacular glow dimmed and vanished with a cheeky twinkle.

“No no no no no!! Where are you going!?” Neve sobbed, as she wrenched her hands free to gathered the frail woman in her arms. “Please don’t. Please don’t leave. You can’t. Please.” she sobbed with a sliver of acceptance.

“She’s made her choice now. And you know as well as we do, it was hers to make.” bespoke a breathless and bereaved Remi bowing her head in sorrow and respect.

“You heard her though - ‘be no trouble so grand to limit the love that we’ve woven’. Her body may now be committed to nourish Mother Earth. So mote it be. But she will live on eternally in all of us. In the very essence of this coven. Aho Uma!” Sage meaningful saluted.

“Aho!” seconded Remi proudly in an instant.

“… Aho” finished Neve, as she tucked her head into her beautiful Uma’s neck and let go as she held on to one last moment. And as she did, the thickness of the mid summer night air began to dissipate, allowing the dust to slowly descent and fall where it may.

“Aho!” so said all as a murder of crows poetically took flight from a near by tree in a cascade of caws.

So mote it be! Aho.