Monday, it’s back to the school grind. Lessons and teachers and boredom. After the bell rings, I meet up with Jeanna and James, and we all head to his house for our coven meeting. With his brother no longer at home and his mother working long hours, we usually have the place all to ourselves.
With the quarter moon taking place midweek, we’ll be using our time to prepare our thoughts and spells. I have several spells in the preparation stages. For my mother, I have to wait until the waxing moon in two weeks’ time. But I’m also planning on pulling together birthing beads for Miri, and today, both James and Jeanna can add their blessings to the string.
Even if Miri hasn’t yet admitted to being pregnant, I’m pretty positive she is with child. I’m rather excited to welcome a new tiny witch into the family.
At James’s, we all file through the door and toss our backpacks on the kitchen table.
“Anyone want a snack before we begin?” James asks.
“Yes.”
“Totally.” Both Jeanna and I speak over one another.
“Alrighty then. Let’s see what we got.” James opens the refrigerator, and Jenna and I start rummaging through the cupboards. Within fifteen minutes or less, we are armed with a jumbo bag of chips and avocado dip. In addition, we each have a sparkling cherry water.
James and Jeanna add their chosen beads to my gift for Miri, and then we all sit in silence, scribbling spells and intentions for the upcoming moon phase. A pile of resource books sits on the table’s center, and I have had to pull from the stack twice so far. Occasionally, one of us pops our head up and fires a question at the group, and that leads to an energetic exchange of chat, mixed with considerations and answers. We discuss the moon phases, and which spells are best for which stages. We also discuss spell intentions and elements. Timing within the day.
An hour and a half into our time, a knock sounds at the door. We all jolt, spin in our seats toward the sound.
“Are you expecting anyone?” Jeanna asks.
“Maybe.” James jumps from his seat and jogs to the front entrance. He opens the door and standing on the porch is Luna. “Cool,” he says. “I’m so glad you decided to join us today.”
“Thanks. I wasn’t sure if I would make it or not.” She drops her head and hugs her bag to her chest.
“Come in. Come in.” James steps to the side, allowing Luna entrance.
I stand from the table and move toward the threshold to the front room. Stare at Luna. My thoughts on her are muddled. First, she acts like she wants to be friends, and then she’s running away.
Jeanna moves past me to get a better look at our newcomer. “Hi,” she says. “My name is Jeanna. And you are?”
Luna blinks, glances toward me. Swallows hard.
“This here is Luna,” James says. “Belle and I met her the other day, and I invited her to join our coven.” He shifts toward Luna. “I mean, she’s not from Algiers, but that shouldn’t matter. She’s cool and needs awesome peeps like us.”
“Of course she does.” Jeanna extends her hand in greeting. “Glad you could come.”
Jeanna and Luna shake, and, with the exchange, Luna is welcomed into our small coven of fledgling witches. Jeanna jumps straight into grilling our new guest. She asks Luna where she’s from, about her casting experience, and any family history of witchcraft.
“Monticello. Not much. Some on my father’s side, I think,” Luna says, answering the questions in the order given.
“We hadn’t planned on any spell work for today,” Jeanna says, leading Luna deeper into the house. “But if there is something you’d like to focus on, we might be able to adapt and add power to your casting.” She pulls a chair away from the table and offers the seat to Luna.
“Nothing today, I think.” Luna takes a seat, and we all follow suit, coming together like the knights of the round table. “I’m still learning what spells are best to cast when.”
I scoot my chair in and place my hands on the table. Study the dynamics between Luna and the rest of my gang. She feels like a natural fit.
“It can seem confusing at first,” James says. “But once you understand the logic behind the marriage of spells and moon phases, it will become like second nature to you.”
“Right.” Jeanna cuts a sharp hand through the air in James’s direction. “Like, we just had the new moon. New… we concentrated on starting anew. Setting our intentions for the month ahead. Now we are in the phase of the waxing crescent. A time for building. Think long-term goals or material gain.”
Luna shakes her head. “None of that is really my focus right now.” Her gaze flickers to me, and my body pulls back and stiffens ever slightly. “I’m not here so much for the spell work, at least not right now, but really for the connection with others involved in the craft as I am.”
My cheeks warm, and I can’t help but smile at the long, dark-haired girl sitting across the table from me. Jeanna, James, and I may be fledgling, but I got the impression Luna was a step or two below fledgling.
“You’ve come to the right place, then.” Jeanna drops her hand over Luna’s and pats. “I think you’re going to fit in nicely.”
James offers Luna a drink and then dives into a detailed explanation of the moon phases and how they related to different types of spell work. Luna pulls a bookbag and pencil from her bag and makes notes.
When James takes a short break to rummage through the pantry and Jeanna excuses herself to go to the bathroom, Luna grabs our jackets and drags me outside.
“Hey!” James yells
