Under the Moon's Spell

“Goddess, We call upon you this Night in June

Under this glorious Strawberry Moon,

To come out and commune

As we dance to a holy tune.

Come, Goddess, and give us your blessing

We are yours for possessing

Our steps are for your finessing

We are yours for the addressing

Oh, Glorious Goddess, Mother of our Hearts

Gifter of the Arts

Remover of Warts

Come, the Dance starts.”

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About a dozen girls dressed in white were in a field under the June full moon, chanting and dancing an intricate pattern. As they danced, they tossed flower petals into the air; one girl was waving burning sage smudges in each hand. Each time they completed their chant, they restarted it as if waiting for something to happen.

With each circuit they made, with each intricate design, one girl would take up the chant until they had all sung it. Then they started over again. Around and around. Over and under. The girls went on and on. Each girl hoped the Goddess would appear soon, and each girl hoped the Goddess would never show.

The Dance was an old Dance passed down from mother to daughter and coven to coven. It had yet to be discovered when it had first started. They just knew that a witch must first perform it on the year of her 16th birthday, gaining blessings from the Goddess that will decide which direction she should take her magic. For a witch is born an Earth witch, nor is she born a water witch. These are blessings bestowed upon her by the Goddess.

Each girl was eager to find out what her powers were to be. What each girl was dreading was the appearance of the Goddess. Such a magical being had to be a most formidable One and must be dreadful to look upon.

None of the girls’ mothers or sisters nor the coven had told the girls what to expect from the Dance, the Chant, or the Goddess. The girls were only sure they would somehow get a blessing from this spell.

So, the girls danced and danced. They chanted and chanted. They moved in their intricate patterns and sang their little rhyme. Burning sage and throwing rose, daisy, and lavender petals, the girls kept going. Never once stumbling, never once stopping.

Suddenly, amid the girls, the flower petals started swirling and twirling to form a shape. Rose, daisy, and lavender petals configuring into the shape of a woman's body. The girls almost stopped dancing and chanting. Almost. But they go one. One, two, three, four. Around and around. In and out. Over and under. Repeating the chant time and time. They threw more petals into the air, waving more sage smudge around.

Finally, in their midst, the Goddess appeared. Her dress was covered with flower petals, and stars were in her hair. She smiled at each of the girls and held out her hands. The girls timidly took her hands, not knowing what else to do, and bowed. Laughing, the Goddess led them in the Dance. Around and around. Over and under. In and out. Her voice rang out in a pure bell tone, singing the chant and encouraging the girls to sing with her.

As they danced, the girls noticed a change in the song. The Goddess was singing their blessings.

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“Children of My Heart

I hate to have to part

But before I depart

I have something to impart

You are all already smart

You are just waiting on your art

So before you start

To get ahead of your cart

With this dart

I will give you a chart

And that is how you will restart.

Now, I must depart.”

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When the Goddess was gone, a dart with a chart was left. Upon the chart was written several abilities. Mounting the chart to a tree, the girls decided who would use the dart first. There was only one thing to do now: the girls were ready.