Virgo's Child

She was running to save her life, but from what she couldn’t remember. She could barely remember her first name; was it the name they calling her by? “Is that my name?” She wondered as continued running from them. Her head was still pounding from the hit she took. She stopped only for a moment to catch her breath.

“Dear child, what has happened?” a strange voice asked from behind her. She jumped and turned to find an old gypsy woman looking at her with concern in her eyes.

“I…I…I fell…in the woods,” she stammered.

“Come sit awhile with me. I will make you some tea and something to eat. Your journey will be a long one. I can see it, so I will also make you a charm to protect you.” The gypsy said as she wrapped the young stranger in a shawl and took her under her arm.

“Thank you, very much.” She said as she followed the gypsy back to the gypsy’s wagon. As they approached the wagon she noticed how brightly colored it was with yellow painted shutters, and red sides. The curved roof was painted white and the wooden door on the back was also painted yellow to match the shutters, there were curtains with a brightly colored pattern fluttering in the light breeze, and a few feet away from the wagon was a blazing fire, with a heavy looking cast iron pot hanging over it. The scent of a delicious smelling stew drifted to her nose.

“Where do you come from my child?”

“I can’t remember. The only thing I know for sure is that my life is in danger and I have to get as far away from here as I can,” she said as followed the old woman into the wagon. The kind old gypsy slipped quietly to one side of the wagon and grabbed a teapot, pouring some tea in a delicate looking teacup, set some of the delicious smelling brew in front of her before exiting the wagon.

“Drink all of it. It will heal what ails you, my child,” the gypsy said as she re-entered the wagon after having taken the pot of stew off the fire outside, she then dished up some of stew, and set it in front of the young stranger. The young woman took a delicate sip of tea there was something comforting about the smell and taste of the tea as it warmed her from the inside out. She then tried a bite of the stew. Finding it to be delicious, she then inhaled the rest of it in a very unlady- like manner. Once she had finished her tea the gypsy took the cup and looked at the leaves in the bottom of the cup.

“You are on a long journey to New Orleans…where you will find your true home. Yes, I can see it. A large white house with blue trim and shutters at the end of a row tall of weeping willow trees, it is here that you will find your true destiny. There is a large porch and balcony that wrap around the entire house with blue railing around it. There you will meet a captain and a redheaded woman in a low cut dress. She will offer you a job, an offer you mustn’t turn down as it will lead down a different path from what you had originally wanted but it is the true path for you. You are Virgo’s child? You are gifted, no?”

“I’m not sure what that means…”

“Why child, you were born to see, weren’t you?”

“What does all this mean? I don’t understand. Isn’t everyone born with eye sight?” The young woman asked as tears welled up in her eyes. The gypsy laughed a dry raspy laugh.

“Why child, it means that you can see things that other people can’t. You can speak to and see those poor souls who have passed from this world to the next and those trapped in the world between our worlds. You have the ability to help them move on. Your eyes are old. You have the spirit of an old soul. You were given a second chance at completing your Destiny. That is why you were born to see. Come, my child and rest. You will need your strength, and while you are resting I will make you a charm for protection from those that would harm you both.” The gypsy said as she led the led her over to the bed. The young stranger simply allowed herself to be lead and tucked into the bed, as she was too tired to try to fight any more. The words of the gypsy running through her head: born to see, born a medium. Turning on her side she watched as the gypsy prepared the charm. First taking a Mortar and a pestle from a shelf, she then pinch from herbs from a jar and said some words over them. Next she took another jar of herbs and once again pinch some out and said words over them.

“What you are doing?” The stranger asked from the bed.

“Why activating the Rosemary and Patchouli. You must always bless your ingredients for the charm to work.” She said as she then took the pestle and ground the herbs.

“Now some clay to hold the jade.” The gypsy took a chunk of clay and then proceeded to knead the herbs into it once again saying words. She then grabbed an Atheme and craved a strange triangle into the clay.

“This is what is called a Triad. It represents a balance of the past, the present, and the future. Without one the other two cannot exist and it is a powerful travel protection symbol.” She said as then took a piece of Jade from a purple pouch on the table next to her. Once again she said words over it and then proceeded to take firmly push the stone in the middle of the clay, taking two purple candles she then lit them and placed the clay between before raising her gnarled hands over it, the gyspy then spoke strange words repeating the words three times.

“Mar mé ag tasteal agus fiontair faoi, beag bean ar mo rogha i mbealach, larr mé do chosaint a bheith infheicthe nó dofheicthe, gan aon tubaistí thoil idirghabháil, ag luibh, cloch, cré agus cosanta, Mar a Bheidh mé Mote sé sin go mbeadh sé.”

She wasn’t completely sure when it happened, but she soon drifted off to a dreamless sleep for the first time since falling in the woods and hitting her head on a rock. Waking with a start, she sat up quickly in the bed. She could hear horses approaching. Startled she jumped from the bed. She could smell wood burning. She looked around only to find that the whole wagon was on fire, and she was trapped. As she looked out of the small window she saw men wearing black capes watching the wagon burn. They were wearing their hoods low over their faces to keep their identities hidden. Panicked the young woman closed her eyes, and took several cleansing breaths hoping to wake up from the horrible nightmare she seemed to be trapped in. When she opened her eyes again she found herself lying in a burnt gypsy wagon, Spanish moss had begun to grow on the roof and windows. It appeared as though no one had lived in it for ages. She was covered with an old quilt and there were some fresh clothes and the charm hanging from a purple ribbon at her feet. She looked around bewildered. Born to see that’s what the old gypsy had said. She paused only a moment before changing into the clothes and stuffing the quilt into a nearby leather bag; she looked at her skirts lying on the floor only for a moment before deciding to bring them with her. If she left her skirts the men following her would know that she had been there and may then be able to track her with the dogs. At least with the brightly colored tiered skirts of the gypsy and light cotton blouse, she would be able to move quickly and cover more ground as she made her way to New Orleans and to her true destiny.

As she came nearer to the small town she heard the horses fast approaching behind her. She could hear men’s voices shouting from somewhere in the distance. Her blood ran cold. She recognized the voices, they were the same ones who were trying to bury her alive. She ran toward the forest. In front of her she could see an old Indian. Something told her that he would keep her safe as she ran toward him. The men were getting closer to her, she could almost feel the warm breath of the horses on her neck, but if she could just make it to the Shawman and the wolf standing next to him. He would be able to protect her; she could feel in every fiber of her being. She hazarded a glance over her shoulder; they were so closer she could see the horses’ breath, as it misted in the cool night air. They could not get her, she would not die at their hands, and as she reached the Shawman with his upraised staff they disappeared into the mists they came from, the only sound was that of a howling wolf.