Autumn Leaves

No matter what, I always detoured when driving so I could pass by that house and catch a glimpse of it. There was something fascinating and frightening at the same time about it. I had been looking for information about it, how to contact the owners and maybe convince them to sell it to me but my letters and phone calls were never answered, yet it seemed someone was taking care of it although not a soul was ever seen outside, or lights were ever turned on at sunset. I passed by at many different times hoping to see someone there to just having to continue driving without any luck.

Somehow, I realized that little house barely seen from the road because of a thick forest in the back, now too close to the sides of a gravel road leading to its porch where I could barely notice a faded red paint entrance door, was dangerously turning into an obsession as the months passed by. The mystery surrounding that house grew deep in myself. There had to be a way to be able to investigate that house. It was calling me, and I can assure you I knew that for a fact since I was born in a family where spiritual realms, magic, energies, and paranormal activity were familiar to all of us.

My grandmother was my guide when she noticed I inherited the powers. It was confusing at the beginning not having the capacity and the knowledge to discern what was real and what was ethereal. Experiencing the different types of energies from people, from objects, from plants and stones, and communicating with different dimensions telepathically. It had taken me most of my lifetime to be able to develop certain faculties including becoming a healer, both health, and spiritual healer. It has been a fascinating road my life, and now I was feeling unease once again, like I have not felt since early age, sensing so many different emotions and energy fields coming to me from that house. I had to be able to at least peek inside!

It was a Saturday afternoon, and my cat was next to me on top of my printer. The weather was miserable outside but perfect for me because the sound of heavy rain hitting the glass on the windows has a soothing effect in me. It was a day to relax and let go of my thoughts and creativity writing, painting or just to bundle up in my cozy sofa after grabbing a book. I suddenly felt I had to go to that house as the image of it popped in my mind. Whomever takes care of it should be there possibly making sure all windows are closed or placing buckets around the inside of the house to catch water from leaks from the roof. Yes, I had to go now! It was also a weekend day; someone must not be working today and be there. My cat simply looked at me and rolled over facing the rain against the window. I wish she warned me…

I put on my raincoat, grabbed an umbrella, wore my rain boots, and quickly rushed outside to my car. The rain was hitting me from all sides, making my umbrella useless, so I decided to face the rain as it has always been heavenly water to me. I use different water sources many times while practicing my magick. Rainwater, moon water, lake, river, or sea water are one way or another an ingredient to some of the rituals, and elixirs I do for manifestation, spells, baths, and other, so I felt comforted and protected to continue with my mission.

I usually carry quartz’s and other stones in a pouch depending on my purpose of the day or destination on any given day. Stones have different purposes, meanings and can be programmed for protection, to attract and manifest, or for a specific purpose. I hesitated for a moment since I feel better with them handy and was not sure I had them with me. There! I found my pouch of stones, my black tourmaline, red jasper, malachite, citrine and aventurine. I reminded myself those I programmed for protection, prosperity, and abundance. Should I go back and bring a clear quartz and other just in case? My gut feeling was telling me I would not need any today and I usually guide myself by it. Today was not going to be any different I said to myself not knowing why.

I parked on the gravel driveway of the house awfully close to the porch. The house seemed eerie under the rain now that I was closer. There was a welcome mat by the main door. Despite the fall season, and the profuse vegetation, there were no leaves rustling all over the porch floor as I expected. The wooden porch floor was shining like a mirror due to the rain. Now that I was closer, I breathed deep while focusing on the gorgeous flaming colors of the trees around the house. Fall is my favorite season of all, but for some reason the colors of the autumn leaves from the trees at this house seemed brighter, deeper, very much alive and a bit more dramatic than usual.

The rain suddenly stopped, and the sun shyly started to shine on the windows of the house making the rain drops on them look like diamonds and a soft breeze kept the leaves moving as if they were dancing and kind of welcoming me there.

It was time to get out of the car. I went straight to the door and knocked softly. I did not want to disturb or startle anyone. No response. I knocked harder and the door gave way. I stood there petrified not knowing whether I should keep opening it and take my only chance in months to peek inside, or simply run as fast as I could from that place. A fresh baked sugar-coated cookie smell coming from the interior hit me, but I could not see much to the inside from that small crack of the door. I decided to call aloud:

-Hello? Anybody here?

And then I saw her. The sweetest looking old lady. She was impeccably dressed and had an apron on top of her dress. Short, slim, with beautiful pale skin with soft wrinkles around her eyes and mouth, and the most gorgeous baby blue eyes. Her snow-white hair was tidily held up in a bun above her head. She opened the door widely and replied:

-What took you so long to come? I had been expecting you. You are right on time for tea. Please, come in.

Hesitantly I entered the foyer asking her:

-Do you know who I am?

She did not reply and walked to what I thought must be the kitchen, leaving me standing in the middle of the room, absorbing the coziness of this tiny house, the energies, the aromas of fresh brewed herbal tea and cookies, listening to the wood cracking under the flames in the fireplace and releasing that burnt wood smell I love. The sun lit the whole house through the windows and made rainbows from the stained glass at the sides of them. Everything was in place. All was tidy and clean. I felt at home! I felt I belonged there. How could I possibly offer this sweet lady to sell to me this little piece of heaven? I would be a heartless person to take all this away from her!

She came out from the kitchen carrying a tea pot and a tray with cookies and invited me to sit with her in front of the fireplace placing those on a small table in front of us. I asked again:

-Do you know me? You invited me into your house and even told me I was late. Have we met before?

And she replied:

-Of course, I know you! Let me show you something.

She walked away again and from an antique desk she brought to me all the letters I had been sending to the Owner of Record offering to buy the house, but I noticed she have not opened any of those envelopes.

She sat next to me and looking straight into my eyes she simply said:

-You were born with a gift and I want to teach you what you are missing. Come visit me every Saturday at this same time to start learning. Today is your first lesson after tea. Now, enjoy your tea and the cookies.

For almost a year I visited her every Saturday at the same time, and every Saturday we had tea and fresh baked cookies. She was an ocean of knowledge. I learned about potions, teas, tonics, and cocktails, and how to apply magical destination/purpose in all those recipes. How to ask for assistance in any subject or need by simply casting pine needles to the wind or onto a body of water asking for help. How to talk to herbs and plants. How important it was to ask the plant for permission before cutting any part of it, and how to thank it by gifting it something like a small rose quartz as a token of love.

I looked forward to those magical days that renewed me and cleansed all my emotional baggage and stress from my regular working weekdays, filling me inside with wide and deep knowledge that surely complemented my spiritual journey in this world as I had been doing a lot of work trying to elevate my consciousness. I cherished every moment spent with her and never mentioned the contents in my letters which remained unopened on top of the mantle.

Starting autumn almost a year after, I went to the house on a Saturday as always. Upon reaching the porch I noticed and felt something different. It was raining like the first time I had the courage to approach the house about a year ago, but the house seemed cold and awfully dark. It was a habit in her to leave the door unlocked so I could enter freely as soon as I got there, but as I approached the door and opened it, held a scream! The house was dark, the furniture was covered in dust and spiderwebs, it looked as if no one had been there in ages. I was in shock! Where was she? I started calling her to only hear my own echo. There was emptiness all over this house.

I went to the antique desk since I did not see my unopened letters on top of the mantle. I looked through the drawers, opened the top and there I saw this little black book. Oddly, it had no dust on it like the rest of the desk. The cover was shiny and tied up with a golden ribbon holding a key. I untied the ribbon and opened it. Inside, there were notes of all the teachings I received from her. Drawings of herbs, flowers and plants accompanied the recipes of the different brews and potions. I wanted to run out of that place! I was so confused, angry, and sad.

A piece of paper fell from the little black book. It was a sketch of the house marking something in the kitchen. As I reached the mark, I noticed it was for a small trunk tucked under the kitchen table. It was locked. I used the key in the ribbon to open it and found it filled with tied bundles of coins. I opened each. There were one thousand solid silver one-dollar coins in each bundle, twenty in total. A small fortune I was still clueless about. Why me? Was it all real or simply another altered state of consciousness?

In the very last page of that little black book, I read: Do not lose focus of your destination in life and practice magic, for every day is filled with it just for you.